Redirection
by Moon Step
Summary: When a tragedy occurs, Kuwabara tries to go back in time to change what happened. Only, he and the others go a little too far back… InuYYH KagomeKurama Sango?
1. Deception

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or Inuyasha.

**IMPORTANT NOTE:**

Contrary to what the summary might imply, this story **_does not_** focus primarily on Kuwabara. He just sets up the story. If you've read any of my previous stories, you'll probably notice that I spread the attention out to many of the characters, though mostly to the main love interest, (so usually Kagome and whoever she's paired with and Sango and her partner). This story will do the same, following different party members.

**Redirection**

**Chapter One:**

**Deception**

"_Holy sh—What the hell did you do?!" —Yusuke Urameshi_

* * *

A grunt left him as the demon forced him backward with a solid punch to his chest. Kuwabara caught his balance and threw a punch of his own, which was easily dodged. He didn't mind though, since it was his intent to distract as his other hand summoned his spirit sword. He swung his incorporeal blade, taking the offensive as the demon started his retreat as he eluded the attacks.

The demon called to his friend for help, only allowing himself a moment to take his attention off Kuwabara and glance at his comrade. From the corner of his eye, all Kuwabara could see of the demon's friend was a blurred body clashing with another. He couldn't even tell which of the swift youkai was Hiei until said fire demon paused as he sent his opponent flying backward.

"Busy right now," was the response that came as the fallen demon rushed to stand and engage Hiei again.

Kuwabara's foe hardly heard the reply. His attention was taken away by Kuwabara once more. It took only a few more swipes before the demon managed to switch places with one of the youkai fighting Yusuke.

"I'll defeat you just as easily," Kuwabara informed the new demon.

He lunged with his sword and managed to hit the demon's arm—but it did not slice or cut through the skin. He was allowed a brief moment of surprise as he realized both his new opponent's arms were encased in metal, or possibly made out of it or something equally unnatural if he couldn't slice through. Then the moment was over and he snapped back to attention as two metal spikes emerged from both of the demon's wrists.

He lifted a spike and swung it at Kuwabara who tried to counter it, but could not keep it from slicing his arm. He attacked in retaliation, but the assault was prevented once more. Then, using the same trick he had pulled before, the demon struck with one spike that was deflected… while the other plunged itself into Kuwabara.

Kuwabara registered the devilish smirk that appeared on the demon's face as he felt an invasive pain sweep over him. He looked down numbly at the foreign object sticking out of his stomach, his mouth sputtering, searching for lost words. Dragging his sword-holding arm up, it was knocked away and the second spike sliced open his chest. He slumped forward with a gasp, but then the weapon was torn from him and the demon kicked him away.

The cry of his name was nearly deafened as a new wave of pain washed over him. His hands clutched his wounded stomach as though trying to hold the hole in him closed. All it served in doing was to coat his hands in the warm, thick liquid leaking from him.

His body shook involuntarily and he closed his eyes as his back arched. But then his body stopped its spasms and the pain subsided. A different warm, comforting feeling spread throughout him. He blinked his eyes open to see a young beauty kneeling at his side with her hands covering his abdomen, a blue light being emitted from them.

"It's alright, Kazuma," the koorime told him in her soft, sweet voice. A genuine, but weak smile found its way onto Kuwabara's lips.

Yeah, everything would be…

Yukina's body jolted forward with a gasp and Kuwabara didn't understand why. Then she shuttered a second and a third time and Kuwabara noticed the throwing stars imbedded in her back.

…alright…

Kuwabara reached a hand out to her, but it met only air as Yukina was abruptly flung away from him by the demon. Moments later, a sickening _crack_ met his ears.

With dread filling his heart and terror building in his mind, he rolled over on his side to face her. A tremble developed within him, spilling out into his body as he saw Yukina, hanging there, motionless… a tree limb jutting out of her torso…

A shocked, horrified word began on his lips, but it was not him who yelled it.

"_Yukina!_"

* * *

**Some months later…**

_Come to me._

The voice whispered in his mind, not for the first time that night. Normally something of the kind would spook him, at least enough to have him inform someone else about it. This time was different, however. Everything was different.

Kuwabara walked through the dank cave, doing his best to navigate through it. There was darkness everywhere and he could barely manage walking without crashing into a wall. He was not sure how to get where he wanted to go, yet at the same time he _knew_. When he didn't think about it, his feet just brought him along, as though somehow they knew the way.

He was not sure how much he could trust this feeling, but he had put his faith in stranger spirit powers before. All the same, his feet really must have known the way, for he had not been walking ten minutes before he was brought to a large open area of the cave.

Light seeped down from holes in the ceiling above him, giving him some illumination to view his surroundings. Nevertheless, there was only one thing he was interested in seeing.

What would have looked like a normal cave wall to any mundane human was a shimmering, transparent barrier to him, covered in dark, demonic power. Encased deep within the wall was a figure that even he, with his powers, had trouble seeing. Even to him it seemed like an illusion, best seen when looking from the corner of his eye, for inside the barrier was a demon, frozen in motion.

Moving closer, Kuwabara touched a hand to the wall that looked as fragile as glass. Realistically, it must have been stronger than iron, a thousand times over. How else had it stayed untouched?

_Free me._

The two words brushed against his mind, sending a chill through him. He closed his eyes and held his hands together, willing his sword to appear. Usually it took little to no concentration to make the nonphysical blade to materialize, but his powers had been wavering as of late.

It finally did appear and he raised his arms, but hesitated before striking.

_Free me and I will do as you wish. You have my promise._

His faltering disappeared and he struck down at the barrier to break it—or at least try to. He stared, stunned, at the tiny crack that appeared on the wall. Never had he ever encountered such a strong barrier. This was the first time he had not been able destroy one in a single blow.

No matter, he would just have to try again.

Kuwabara lifted his arms to strike a second time, intending to put more muscle into it, when one of his arms was forcefully stopped halfway in its descent. Someone had stopped him.

He glanced over to see Yusuke, holding onto his arm in a firm grip. His breathing was heavy, as though he had run there. The delinquent glared at Kuwabara as he caught his breath, then without warning, Yusuke knocked him down with a solid punch to the jaw.

"You crazy idiot! What the hell are trying to prove?"

Kuwabara did not attempt to get back up, though he did bring a hand up to touch his scolded face. "Nothing! I'm not trying to prove anything!"

Although he looked like he might have wanted to hit Kuwabara some more, Yusuke attempted to calm himself down. Surprisingly, it seemed to work. "Yukina's gone," he said coolly. "If Spirit World couldn't do anything—"

Before he could finish, Kuwabara tackled him in a rage and both tumbled to the ground. Not expecting the action, Yusuke got the wind knocked out of him as he was slammed onto his back, but he was quick to recover and tossed Kuwabara off him. Kuwabara managed to kick the other boy in the stomach, causing him to double over before he could stand. He retaliated by grabbing the orange-haired boy's leg and yanking hard, then kneed him in his most vulnerable spot. It gave Yusuke a chance to get to his feet, only to get his feet knocked out from under him.

They continued to brawl on the ground, punching and kicking, using every dirty trick they knew. Nothing they did was in the spirit of fun, as it usually was between them. Kuwabara fought, releasing all his anger and frustration out on Yusuke, while the other boy took what he gave and dished out even more.

Finally Yusuke managed to get to his feet without Kuwabara bringing him down again, winning their quarrels like he normally did. Only this time had taken more effort than ever before. "Yukina's gone," he repeated, firmly. "You can't change that, you dumbass."

If he had been about to say more, he stopped once he heard a strange snapping sound behind him. Kuwabara saw it first and as his eyes widened, it caused Yusuke to spin around.

The barrier behind them was cracking, branching out from the small crack Kuwabara had made in its center. It spread quickly like wildfire along the barrier; there was no stopping it.

"Holy sh—What the hell did you do?!"

Before Kuwabara could even respond, the entire wall exploded, showering both young boys with various fragments. Then a tremendous amount of force washed over them both in a great wave and both fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

There was a light pressure on his back, shaking him gently. He rolled over onto it which inflicted a few jolts of pain, but it did give him a view of the person hovering over him.

"Kurama…?"

"Are you alright?" Kurama asked. "You have some cuts, but they do not seem to be that serious."

Kuwabara merely nodded in response as the redhead went to check on Yusuke. He, unlike how Kuwabara had been, was on his back, leaving most of the damage on his chest and torso with a few scraps on the side of his face. The Spirit Detective woke after a few hard shakes and Kurama was wise enough to move away as the younger boy shot up. His brown eyes surveyed the area and he swore.

Kurama stood in a fluid motion, turning his attention back to Kuwabara. "Koenma was worried about you. He was unsure what you might do so he sent us."

Us? A quick glance behind Kurama and Kuwabara saw Hiei, standing some distance away from the rest. He did not acknowledge any of them.

Kuwabara's short-term memory returned to him and he found himself blurting out, "what happened to the demon?"

"Demon?"

Fragments of the barrier crunched under Kuwabara's feet as he stood and moved forward. There was nothing there… except, he took note, for a large lump of clothing. When he bent down and touched the ends of it tentatively, the fabric began to rustle. He stumbled back as the demon rose from the pile.

He saw his friends instinctively move into a defensive stance. The demon had gone unnoticed until then because of its lack of demonic energy. Kuwabara was certain it was a demon, yet its power was entirely hidden.

"Fool, what have you done?" Hiei's voice held a quality that Kuwabara had gotten use to in the past few months. Utter, unadulterated hate.

The demon lifted one frail hand toward Kuwabara, inches away from touching his chest. He made no move against the demon, not sure what to do. Although there was no emotion on the youkai's face, Kuwabara could hear the smile in his words.

_Wish granted._

* * *

"You—you _jerk!_"

The surroundings seemed to echo the sound as Kagome laid a hard slap across Inuyasha's cheek. He seemed shocked for a second and she took that time to spin around, to hide the fact that she was holding her stinging hand and muttering "ow" several times.

Ugh, he just made her so… so mad sometimes! Why did he have to be so insensitive?

"What was that for?"

An exasperated noise was his only answer as she marched away. He followed, hot on her heels.

"Don't follow me!" Besides her protest, she heard the stomping of an annoyed hanyou behind her. She fumed and whipped around. "I said stop it!"

…Only, he wasn't there. Feeling even more irritated that he would just leave like that, she turned back around in time to see him drop in front of her. Kagome swallowed her yelp of surprise and brushed past him.

"What does it matter what _you_ want? You're only here to find the jewel that _you _broke," came the cool response.

It stopped her instantly. A cold chill ran through her and she sputtered, all words leaving her. Except for one. "**_SIT!_**"

She felt some satisfaction as she said it, but not enough for it to rid her of his harsh words. She heard him crash to the ground with what sounded like an almost deadly impact—and then a second crash followed by another loud cry of pain. Wait, that didn't seem right…

Kagome turned and became perplexed at what she saw.

"Eh?"


	2. Fallen

**Redirection**

**Chapter Two:**

**Fallen**

"_You wouldn't dare." —Inuyasha_

* * *

What…? 

As she had expected, there was Inuyasha, lying in the newly-formed crater his body had made when he had come in contact with the ground…

…but why was there someone on _top_ of him?

Kagome gave one solid, slow blink, willing the illusion away. Nope, it was not her imagination; the stranger was still there. What had happened? Where had the boy even come from?

Inuyasha struggled from under the dead weight of the boy, but his whole body ached from being forced into the ground, not to mention being landed on. He let out a grunt as he stretched out a clawed hand. "…Help…" he said before his head dropped and his hand went limp.

Kagome squeaked out his name and rushed to assist him. She attempted to roll the boy away, but he was _heavy_ and, whether she liked it or not, she was just a young girl. She put her weight into it, shoving him with her whole body and it gave Inuyasha enough leeway to crawl out, grumbling and cursing all the while.

With great difficulty he stood, his back protesting every movement. He gritted his teeth through the pain and arched his back. Audible cracks were heard as he bent this way and that, working the kinks out. Ah, much better.

He glanced back at Kagome, who was kneeling by the boy (unconscious, not dead. He could hear the faint breathing), examining him curiously. "Where did you come from?" she wondered.

He had no such interest and his foul mood was rising. "Damn, Kagome! If it wasn't bad enough already… Since when do you start summoning things outta the air to hit me with!"

She turned to look at him with surprise, as though she had forgotten he was there at all. One of his hands clenched as her reaction worsened his mood. However, her startled attitude came not from him but from what he said. The sky? Had this guy fallen from it? Kagome glanced up at the clear blue, nearly cloudless sky above her. Had she…?

"I didn't summon anything!" Then uncertainly, added on a side note, "at least I don't think…" Kagome shook her head furiously as she rose. "No, I didn't do this!"

Kagome glanced back at the boy and saw Inuyasha do the same. Since she had rolled him off of Inuyasha, he had been turned onto his stomach, hindering their ability to get a good look at him. From what she could see, he looked about Kagome's age, though that did not really mean anything. People often looked older or younger than they were.

"He's weird-looking."

"Says the boy with the dog-ears," Kagome replied, which earned her a glare from Inuyasha.

"That's not what I mean. His orange hair. Is that normal for a human?"

She frowned as she focused in on the stranger's short orange locks. "Not in Japan in the Feudal Era… a foreigner maybe?"

His clothing, however, seemed much more modern. Indeed, where could a person get _jeans_ here in the past? His sneakers as well all but screamed that he did not belong where he was. Yet the question was: How? The more she observed him, the more his presence became a mystery.

Kagome got to her knees once more and inspected the stranger more thoroughly. He was out cold; that much was certain, with a large bump forming on the back of his head, but that could have been inflicted after he had collided with Inuyasha. There were also many cuts and scratches along his backside with shards of glass lodged into his skin. His face was unscathed and while she might have described others as peaceful, he was expressionless in his unresponsive state.

She nodded her head absentmindedly and got to her feet so she could face Inuyasha properly. "I need you to bring him to Kaede's hut. Once he wakes up, we can find out more about him."

The answer was immediate, not to mention defiant. "Why should I?"

Maybe Inuyasha was curious about him too and maybe he was not. Either way, she knew he just wanted to be stubborn. Well, she could be patience… hopefully. "You knocked him unconscious when he fell on you, so it's your fault."

"How sorry I am that I knocked him out when he was trying to _break _every bone in my body! How _selfish_ of me!" He let out a grunt before snapping, "carry him yourself."

Kagome stomped her foot, restraining herself from yelling. Her tolerance had come and gone in the span of one minute. "Inuyasha, you pick that boy up right now or we'll see just how many times I can say the word 'sit' in the next minute."

Would she actually follow through with her threat? Kagome had not forgotten her anger from earlier just yet, it had only been delayed. It had hurt more than he realized when he indirectly told her that she was useless except for her jewel-detecting abilities. However, she would never show him how upset it made her.

Inuyasha narrowed his golden eyes at her. "You wouldn't dare."

But as she took a deep breath, he launched himself forward and clamped one clawed hand over her mouth. Startled, her eyes flickered upward to meet his and an unintelligible, muffled sound escaped her. She did not know what he saw there when their eyes met, but he seemed to soften. He abruptly spun around and grudgingly picked up the boy, careful of the stranger's wounds.

She watched, unmoving for a long moment as the hanyou hoisted the boy up to carry him on his back. A puzzled half-smile tugged at the corner of her lips, her head tilting to the side as she regarded him oddly. She was allowed no thought, however, for as Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder expectantly, she hurried to catch up.

* * *

There sat his prey… so unknowing… so innocent… She or he, it was hard to tell, but either way the creature had no idea the fate that was about to befall it. Well, he would just have to change that. 

A soft, evil chuckle escaped him and his tail twitched excitedly. His muscles tensed, getting ready for the spring of action. This was it… this was a moment…

With one leap (using his mighty legs, of course), he pounced upon his prey—or at least attempted to. He lost his footing as he landing, causing the small predator to skid and crash into a pot in the corner of the room. It wobbled dangerously on its base and he began to scamper away, but alas, he was not swift enough. The pot landed firmly on top of him, tearing a groan from the would-be predator.

"Just because Kaede's gone, it does not mean you can trash her house, Shippo," Sango told the young kitsune as he fought vigorously with the inanimate pot. He came out victorious and rolled out from under it with a triumphant cry. The kitsune gave the pot a solid kick away, only to have it to slam into the wall and crack.

Shippo looked nervously at it as he pet his tail absentmindedly and then pointed to Miroku. "He did it."

The monk sent him a weary look, but said to Sango, "'trash her house'?" He raised an eyebrow. "You're beginning to sound like Kagome, using her expressions."

Her face gave away her surprise. "Am I?" She thought about it and had to agree it was not something she would normally say. She was about to comment somewhat defensively how they had been together for a long time, all six of them, when her attention turned to the neko in her lap. She felt the small demon tense her entire body, changing her position to crouch on Sango's legs. Each of her tails giving a sharp twitch was the only signal she gave before she had jumped from Sango and pounced on a grasshopper—Shippo's alleged prey.

"Show off," the kitsune muttered. He crossed his arms and sulked as Kirara repeatedly let the small insect go, only to spring on it and catch it again within an instant.

Sango only half-watched her and hid her amusement for Shippo's sake, while mostly submerging herself into her own thoughts. It was not very interesting, but kept her occupied as she changed from musing over different demons she had faced lately, than to Naraku and more solemn topics.

It was after a few minutes of silence that she decided to take herself out of her dreary thoughts and remarked to Miroku, "shouldn't Inuyasha and Kagome be back already?"

Miroku was unworried, hardly even considering it. "Kagome is probably late again, or Inuyasha has used some of his usual 'charm.'"

A peculiar mewing sound caused Sango to sharply look toward the disquieting noise coming from none other than Kirara. The neko youkai had abruptly let the grasshopper escape her, completely ignoring the once-entertaining little creature. One ear twitched as she paused, standing erected. Then without a thought, she had sped out of the dwelling, running outside.

Sango hurried after her and found that she had already changed into her larger form, shifting anxiously on her forelegs. The demon slayer laid a hand on her back, trying to sooth her demon friend, but she was restless. Kirara growled softly and waited, expecting something from Sango and she knew what it was.

Quickly changing to her slayer's outfit, she told Miroku to stay put even though he protested. She brushed it aside. She would be back soon.

She took to the skies with Kirara, where the neko seemed to calm down somewhat. Sango petted her fur, trying to relax her. They soared through the air contently, but Kirara seemed to be sensing something and she was being drawn to whatever it was. Sango said nothing, allowing Kirara to continue on her set course… until, that is, Sango saw something in the distance.

There was some sort of object flying through the air… no, it was falling from it. She was too far away to see what it was, but…

"Kirara, let's take a closer look," she instructed and the neko complied without a sound.

The object was falling at a fast rate, causing Kirara to have to speed up to get close to it. It might have been just her, but it almost seemed person-shaped. However, before she could make an accurate judgment, it had fallen further downward and was soon lost in the forest below.

Without needing to be asked, Kirara landed around where they saw the object land, trying to pinpoint the exact location. They found no trace of it though, and Sango easily dropped down from the neko to search on her own. She kept a sharp eye, knowing that there was at least some kind of demon lurking in the forest's depth. She continued forward, one hand on Kirara's back to guide her as she searched the area.

A rustling behind her caused her to turn around, but all she saw was a shaking branch as some swift creature left the tree. Chiding herself for being so jumpy, she turned back around, only to come face to face with the strangest tree she had ever seen.

A long trunk had grown out of the dirt long ago, indicated by the old scars on the worn bark and the moss growing up the sides. Some of its oddity lay in the fact that only half its roots were buried in the earth while the others lay lamely upon the grass. It had many branches with what had to be hundreds of vines attached to them. It took her a moment to figure out why it was so abnormal to her eyes, until she realized there was not one leaf on the entire tree. And then her attention was completely turned to its center, because stuck in a tangle of vines, was a man.

Could it have been he who fell?

"Are you alright?" Sango called, caution in her voice. There was no answer. His body was wound in the tree's appendages, too many vines to count suspending him off the ground. His head was lolled to the side and she wondered if he was even still alive. Or, if it indeed been him who had been falling, had he ever been?

"Do you think you can get him out?"

Kirara closed the distance between herself and the tree before laying her forelegs against the trunk as she stretched upward toward the man. She was just able to reach and bit into the nearest vine, yanking it away to break it off. They had a brittle appearance, but they were much stronger than they looked. Kirara sunk her teeth into another one…

"Kirara! Watch out!"

…and the vine _wrenched _itself away and struck out forcefully at Kirara.

Kirara let out a growl as she was flung backward, twisting her body in time to land on all fours. The growl quickly turned into a hiss as a taunting vine came forward to jab at her. She swatted it away at first, but as it continued to annoy her, she trapped it to the ground as she had done with the grasshopper before and tore it apart with her canines.

The part she tore off quivered as it splattered the area around it with a green oozing liquid. The other half of the vine that was still connected shook as well, but it was different; it was trembling with rage. The entire plant vibrated with power as a demonic energy spiraled around it.

A demonic tree. Wasn't that just _wonderful_.

The entire thing became animated, all of the tree's tentacles thrashing around wildly as they tried to grab Kirara, their attacker. Sango unsheathed her sword to aid her friend when suddenly she was yanked to the ground. A stealthy vine had caught her unaware and had wrapped itself around her ankle, unnoticed.

She gasped as her head slammed against the dirt, but managed to gather her wits about her after blinking the gray spots out of her vision. The vine scraped her against the ground as she was pulled farther and farther… toward what? With effort, she managed to raise her upper body enough to see a crack appear in the trunk. The center pieces of the bark parted from each other, revealing glistening… teeth?

This was getting better and better.

Adrenaline rushing, she hacked away the vine holding her and rolled away from the newly formed mouth at the base of the tree. She stood with her sword held tightly in her hand and cut more of the tree, trying to move closer to her struggling comrade. It was angered further at the chopping of its limbs, but the demon tree did not mind losing Sango; instead, the caught man was descending toward the waiting mouth.

Using words that would have made Inuyasha proud, she mentally cursed herself for momentarily forgetting about the captive they had followed. Sango sliced dozens more of the demon's tentacles, but not matter how many she severed, more came to take their place and tried to capture her. Sango was merely an arms-length away from him when a tentacle she had previously cut came from behind and coiled around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides.

She flexed her wrist, trying to cut her restraints, but the tree shook her and slammed her into a nearby tree repeatedly until the sword dropped from her hand. She fought against the vine, but more came to hold her and they only grew tighter the more she moved. Where was Kirara? If only she could reach her dagger...

"_What the **hell** is going on_!"

Her head whipped around to look at the man, now fully awake and alert. He squirmed, but the green vines constricted around him. It made him pause for a second; but when he saw that he was being brought toward the tree's mouth, he thrashed again, full force. It only made the demon tree squeeze him until he could hardly breathe.

"Don't struggle. It makes it worse," she informed him.

Her voice made him turn, spotting her for the first time. "Noticed that," he muttered. His attention was given fully to the tree once more when he saw that he was inches away from being bitten into. "Holy crap!" He put both of his feet on either side of the trunk and pushed backward. His footing was slippery against the moss, but he managed to hold himself away. That would at least buy him some time. "What the fuck is this?"

Her eyes found her sword, not too far from her. She relaxed, trying to earn herself some slack. "Just hold still, I'll free you."

He flickered his gaze over his shoulder to give her a skeptical look. "Yeah, because you're _really_ in the position to do that."

When she was given a smidge of room, she slipped one arm out of her constraints and reached backward, stretching her arms toward her fallen blade. It proved needless as Kirara was suddenly there, gnawing at the vines. She tore them apart quickly before jumping away, dodging oncoming limbs. Sango half-dropped, half-rolled to the floor, grabbing her sword as she did.

More vines grabbed hold of the captured man, fastening his legs together so they could no longer hold him away. "Damn, my hands, I can't…" she heard him say, but did not have time to pay attention, let alone understand.

He thrust himself to the side to narrowly miss getting his legs chomped. "Hate to rush you, but _hurry up_!" A loud _whoosh_ made him look to the side and he looked like he might have regretted his words as Sango's hiraikotsu went flying by his head. "Watch where you're throwing that damn thing! It didn't even do—"

His criticizing words were forced to an end as he slammed into the ground, which effectively knocked the wind out of him. Her boomerang-like weapon had cut his ties to the tree on its return route.

She caught the weapon before setting it down out of the vine's reach; it would be easier to avoid being caught if she took up less space. With difficulty, she reached the man and began hacking away at his restraints. The only thing that kept her from getting captured was Kirara, viciously attacking anything that came near.

Sango was finally able to pull him away and out of the tree's reaching range where she began unwrapping him from the tangle of vines. She could hear the tree become more and more fierce, flaying about, but concentrated on freeing the stranger. Once his arms were free, he helped untangle his own legs, working swiftly.

A strange groaning sound and a hiss from Kirara made Sango look back over her shoulder. What she saw made her stop what she was doing and got her adrenaline pumping faster than ever as she stood. The ground around the tree was shaking, rumbling with tension. It began cracking as one by one, the buried roots burst from the earth and began propping the tree up slowly.

She bent down to recover her hiraikotsu, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. The man did not even look at her as he did it. Instead, he stood and pointed a finger at the demon, his face consumed by a seriousness—except for small smirk on his lips. Then his finger was glowing and she shielded her eyes as an abrupt flash of light erupted from him. It tore through the air lightning fast until it reached the demon and obliterated it. That was it; just that easily, the entire tree they had been struggling with was destroyed.

Sango held up her arm to shield herself from falling debris, looking at the boy with newfound curiosity. He was unfazed, muttering something about it being a weak demon and other nonsense, which during that time she took to studying him. He was about her height and possibly the same age, maybe a year or two younger. His hair was slicked back in a way she found odd, though the color of his hair and the brown of his eyes were not unusual. His clothes were odder still, though she did notice they were torn in quite a few places. There seemed to minor cuts on his chest caused by something that was still lodged in him in some places and there was one small slice across his cheek.

He focused on her then, asking, "who are you? Where the hell am I? And what the hell are you wearing?"

"What about you? What did you just do?" Unlike him, she was not accusing him of anything. She was merely interested and somewhat cautious. Would his gratitude of being saved be enough to keep him from using that power on her? It had happened so fast, she was not sure she could dodge such an attack or if her hiraikotsu could shield her from it. Of course, that was only if he had bad intentions.

"Nuh-uh, my question first."

She gave a small shrug. "Easy enough. I'm a demon exterminator. You're in the forest just south of the Konan Village."

"Village?"

She sighed at the tone of his voice. "Do you at least know you're in Japan?"

She kept to the one question, even when she had so many more she wanted to ask. Based on his questions, she wondered if his memory was still intact. Did he know he had fallen from the sky and why? Had he even been the one to fall? She was almost positive he was. The oddity of the object that fell and his own strangeness might be easier answered if they were connected.

"Of course," he snapped. He ran a hand through his hair while muttering to himself, "this is all that damn Kuwabara's fault."

His face became clouded and unreadable. She changed the subject by inquiring, "who are you? And what about your attire?" He did not understand what she meant, but to her his clothes were certainly strange. Strange in the same way as…

"I can take you back to my companions. I have a friend that I think could help you." Sango had an almost sure feeling that she would know something useful. The demon slayer herself remembered how outlandish she had seemed when Sango had first met her.

He was skeptical, but at the same time, where else could he go? He looked very lost and out of place. She was probably his best shot.

He agreed grudgingly to go back with her, but he couldn't guarantee that he would stay. That was good enough for her, except for one thing. "We should get rid of these shards first." They would have to ride Kirara after all and it would do no good to any of them if they were still imbedded in him.

She moved forward and reached a hand out carefully while he seemed not sure what to do, though he inadvertently took a step back. He began to voice his protest just as she jerked her hand back.

A small drop of blood welled up on the tip of her finger. "It's glass. Told ya not to," he said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Sango stared at it for a moment before carelessly wiped her fingertips against her pant leg and then grabbing her hiraikotsu, slinging it on. She called Kirara over and got onto her back, holding out a hand to the stranger. He ignored it and began to get on behind her, but she stopped him.

"I don't want you accidentally imbedding the glass deeper in," she informed him.

He didn't realize what she meant and why it mattered in their current situation. That is, until he got on in front of her and she looped an arm carefully around his waist, her body pressed against his.

She told him to hold on, which she knew he did not listen to since he jerked backward as Kirara suddenly sped upward, taking to the skies. Kirara needed no directions, knowing that they were going back to Kaede's village.

"Yusuke," the stranger said. She leaned to the side a bit, glancing quizzically at what she could see of his face. "My name."

"Sango," she replied. "And this is Kirara."

Silence ensued, but it was more relaxed than before. Meanwhile, Yusuke took in the sights below them. There was just something odd about it all to him.

"Can we just fly like this? What if people see?"

Sango was bewildered by his question. "What does it matter? What, do you think they might attack us? They have no reason to."

Yusuke thought about her words, bewildered by them just as she was by his. He shook his head and looked down at the landscape in the meantime. Nothing but small settlements of homes and excessive untouched land, not to mention he saw at least a dozen demons here and there, out completely in the open, doing whatever they pleased.

"…Where the hell am I?"


	3. Refused

**Redirection**

**Chapter Three:**

**Refused**

"_I don't think it's a question of where you are, but _when_ you are." —Miroku_

* * *

It was an odd feeling he woke up to. His body felt cold and he was uncomfortably lying down on his stomach on a hard surface. He barely registered the small headache and other aches that he felt across his body, more focused on the way his cheek was pressed against something cool. There was a pounding in his back and he distantly realized it was his pulse hammering against his skin. It was only when a sharp pain suddenly sprouted from his back that Kuwabara was forced into full consciousness. 

He sprang to his knees and tried to jump to his feet, but pain he had hardly felt before bombarded him and kept him at his knees. He heard a small, feminine "eek" as his movement caused a person besides him to fall backward onto her rear. He hardly saw the girl from the corner of his eye, as she was blurry and spots dominated his vision. He closed his eyes and held his hands over his forehead as though that could suppress the massive ache.

Gentle hands attempted to move his arms away and he yielded to the touch. They tentatively laid his hands in his lap, and then one of the hands came to lie on his forehead, the other placed on top of the first. Light pressure was applied before a soothing feeling spread through his head, chasing away the ache. Although he knew many people who could heal, only one person felt like that, so tender, so kindly…

His heart began pounding wildly and his breath came quick. Had it all been some delusion? Some wild, nightmarish dream? Please, let it have been a dream.

Kuwabara opened his eyes as the hands removed themselves, but he grabbed one of them before it could get far. He tightened his grip almost painfully around it as he slowly raised his gaze to the person beside him… only to be disappointed.

A young girl he did not recognize knelt next to him, watching Kuwabara sympathetically. He quickly let go of his grip on her so instead he could spin around and take in his unusual surroundings with wide-eyes. One small room made up the entire house he was in. …Was it just him, or was he in some kind of hut?

"The _angel's_ awake."

The gruff voice came from beside the door, where a demon sat. He reminded him of someone, though at the same time they were undeniably different. Besides that, the demon's clothing was odd, some kind of all-red material covering most of him. Sharp amber eyes watched him in an unfriendly stare, intensified by the fact that his white ears became flattened against his head when Kuwabara looked at him.

"What're you—who…? Why? And where am I?" Kuwabara sputtered out quickly, his body turning and moving just as fast as his eyes were.

"Besides 'when' and 'how', you've got all the questions covered," the girl teased, then informed him more seriously, "you took a nasty fall."

As he tried to stand once more, the young girl put a hand to his shoulder to still him, but before she could do anything more, her own hand suddenly went to her forehead. She swayed backward, though managed to keep her balance.

The demon snorted indifferently, but the concern in his eyes betrayed him. "Don't exhaust yourself on _him_. You're still just learning to heal."

"I'm okay," she muttered. "Just a bit dizzy."

Another snort from the demon showed his disbelief.

Finally realizing exactly what the demon said before, Kuwabara asked in bewilderment, "angel?" He directed his question toward the demon with the strange ears, but the youkai only let out a small, annoyed sound before crossing his arms and looking away.

The girl answered for him, trying her best to be helpful. "Well you did fall from the sky." She tapped her chin with her index finger thoughtful before jutting the finger out in the air as though she had thought of something brilliant. "A fallen angel then."

He felt his cheeks warm and he looked away from the girl, but it was once again another in his thoughts. He studied the floor instead as he felt pangs of lost, loneliness… and most of all, overbearing guilt. A great somberness coiled itself around him, dulling the atmosphere in the room.

A jolt of surprised filled him as a face came into his view. The girl had bent down, tilting her head to the side so that she could peer into his face. "What's wrong?" she asked.

His feelings must have been mirrored on his face and he tried his best to lock them away. However, once he thought of her, it led him to darker places and it was not long before he remembered something else with dread.

"That demon… and the others…! Are you in league with the demon?"

No, but then why would the girl be helping him? He could not be so sure about the demon in the room, but if he was with the girl he might be okay…

She shook her head at his nearly unintelligible words. "You're talking crazy. Unless you mean Inuyasha."

Inuyasha? Was that the name of the demon that had done something to him? What had he done anyway? The last thing he remembered was the barrier blasting open… no, there was something after that as well…

…"_wish granted_"…?

There were so many questions and before he could even begin to ask more, he made the mistake of moving. He winced as pain shot through his back; it was unusually tender, he discovered.

In a rather motherly way, the young girl grabbed both his shoulders and forced him to lie back down on his stomach. She explained as she did it, saying, "You had a lot of shards of glass in you. Especially in your back that got lodged deeper when you fell."

Once he was lying peacefully on his stomach, Kuwabara saw her pick up a pair of tweezers. She clicked the two ends together twice, more out of habit than to actually test them out.

"Now don't move or I'll have to make you stay still."

The way she gave the warning had implications of a threat that he did not want to experience. He was inexplicably threatened by the small, yet forceful girl and decided caution was the best approach.

"This may hurt."

And hurt it did. Tweezers were not the ideal equipment to use in this situation, especially since, like she had said, the glass was deep within the skin. He, however, gritted his teeth and bore it as she searched through his wounds for the foreign invaders in his body. Though Kuwabara did have to admit, he had yelled at certain points and flailed about a bit. Hey, he was only human.

She sat on top of his legs after he moved the first time, murmuring how it would have been easier if he stayed unconscious. He instantly protested the compromising position, but the girl did not seem to care. Nevertheless, he stopped all his kicking; not because he did not feel the need to, but rather, he did not want to take the chance of hurting her.

What seemed like an eternity of pain later, she got off him and informed him that all that was left was to bandage him up. He thanked her profusely as she wrapped his wounds, to which she gave a pure smile. A small pang ran through him.

"I'm Kagome Higurashi, by the way," she told him as she tied the last of his bandages. She handed him his shirt, which was lying a few feet away and then gestured to her demon companion. "That's Inuyasha."

A disgruntled noise from Inuyasha was his only sign that he had heard his name given. From the sound of it, he was not pleased.

He took in a deep breath, ready for his grand introduction—but felt that he did not have enough energy to do it. "I'm Kazuma Kuwabara."

A man appeared in the doorway then, pushing away some kind of fabric that served as a door while he peered inside. Unlike Kagome who wore clothes that he could recognize, this boy had odd clothing just as Inuyasha did. On top of that, he held some kind of staff in one hand and on his shoulder sat a small boy. Moments later though, he realized it was not a boy at all when he suddenly hopped down to the floor, revealing a small fox tail.

The small fox demon crossed his arms as he inspected Kuwabara. "So, you're awake now!" He turned to Kagome. "Did ya find out why he came tumbling down from—"

He was interrupted by the man at the door, who said, "Sango is back and she's brought a friend." He moved his arm higher as he kept the "door" open and another strange young girl ducked under it and into the room. Then a second later, someone followed her in and…

"Urameshi!"

Although he looked a little worse for wear—his clothes were torn in places and blood coated his front—there was no mistaking his identity. Who else had those sharp eyes and that punk, don't-mess-with-me attitude?

He could tell Yusuke was just as surprised as he was from how his eyebrows shot slightly upward. Then his friend put his head in one hand before dragging the hand down across his face.

"Damn," Yusuke said. "This rules out my whole 'this is a dream' theory. When I start dreaming about you, it's a nightmare."

He was joking, of course, but Kuwabara felt a twinge of annoyance, that was to be expected. He opened his mouth to retort, but the new girl spoke first.

She looked from one stranger to the next, a delicate eyebrow raised. "You two know each other?"

Yusuke did not look at Kuwabara or her as he spoke, his gaze instead off to the side. "Unfortunately."

Kuwabara studied him carefully. He was glancing around the room out of habit, taking in his surroundings and any possible threats. His gaze lingered the longest on Inuyasha and Kuwabara did not fail to notice that when Yusuke finally stopped his observation, he stood in a way that allowed him to keep an eye on the dog-eared demon.

Kuwabara, however, was more concerned with what Urameshi had said and how he'd said it. Was the irritation in his response because he was joking around still? Or was he still angry about the entire business with the demon? He couldn't blame him if it was the latter, but…

"Where'd he come from?" Kagome asked the other girl and Kuwabara felt himself resurfacing from his thoughts. He watched as Kagome got to her feet and curiously took in Urameshi's presence. Amusement ran through him as she observed Yusuke the way someone would examine a stray dog or cat.

Kuwabara felt eyes on him and turned, only to see the other girl doing the same as she observed him. She was dressed as oddly as the other two, though what he immediately noticed about her were the weapons at her side. He sensed no hostility from her though.

The girl ducked her head down as she swung the strap on her shoulder up and over her head, letting the large boomerang weapon rest against the wall of the hut. She sat down not too far from it before gazing at Kagome.

"I could ask you the same question," she replied.

Kagome pointed upward. "The sky." A mischievous grin appeared on her face. "He landed on top of Inuyasha. It kept him from getting too hurt, though."

Both the other man and the girl turned their attention to the demon by the door, who grumbled something unintelligible. The amusement on the girl's face was clear, but she did not smile or laugh, probably for the demon's sake. The small fox, on the other hand, did nothing to contain his laughter and poked fun at the demon.

"That's our Inuyasha; always thinking of others," the man said as he finally stepped away from the entrance. He took a spot on the floor beside the girl, leaving Kagome and Yusuke the only standing people in the room.

"What about him, Sango?" Kagome inquired.

The girl, Sango, nodded toward Yusuke. "I think it was the same for him."

While the information was not new to Kuwabara who had only awoken a few minutes ago, surprisingly it was brand new information to Yusuke.

"What? You didn't say anything 'bout that before!"

"I wasn't sure," she responded. "I saw something descending and then land in the forest… And then there you were, caught in that tree."

Kuwabara laughed. "Caught in a tree? Heh, nice, Urameshi. Real graceful."

Yusuke sent him a look as he crossed his arms over his chest. There must have been wounds there since there was still fresh blood on his shirt, but if it hurt when he came in contact with any scrapes, he didn't show it.

"You're one to talk. You _landed_ on someone."

They began to verbally fight in what could have been described as a childish manner, spitting out minor insults until Kagome went and stood between the two. With her hands on her hips, she asked, "am I going to have to put you two in separate corners?"

She had been facing Yusuke, but she turned to glance at the sitting Kuwabara halfway through her question. Neither answered her and did not meet her gaze either.

"And you." Kagome whirled around to face Yusuke and advanced on him. His crossed arms tightened as she did, but met her intense gaze with his own. Kuwabara was somewhat impressed. The girl possessed such a strong, fierce aura at that moment, he might have taken a step away unconsciously had it been him she was closing in on.

She stopped in front of his friend, well within his personal space. Without warning, her hand darted forward and then yanked back just as quickly. Kuwabara did not know what it was she had done, but Yusuke reacted.

He knocked her hand away. "Hey, stop that!"

Kagome held up the same hand again and Kuwabara noticed a pair of tweezers in them. Ah, it seemed Yusuke was about to get the same treatment Kuwabara had received when he had regained consciousness.

"Don't be a baby," Kagome chided, which Yusuke clearly did not appreciate. "You have shards of glass in you and, unless you want them to stay there, I need to get them out."

She took a step forward and he matched it by taking one back. Kagome frowned in response. "Fine, we'll just have to do this the hard way."

Speaking for the first time since Yusuke had arrived, the demon, Inuyasha, muttered, "you're in for it now…" The fox child nodded in agreement.

She leaned in as she brought the tweezers close to him, but he held onto her shoulders to keep her an arms-length away. She lifted her other arm to try and brush one his arms away, but his grip was too strong. In a surprising move, she kicked him hard and skillfully enough in the leg that he momentarily was balanced on only one foot. Kagome took that time to push down on his shoulders and it was enough for Yusuke to lose his balance. He fell to the floor and Kagome tumbled down with him.

No one else in the room moved; they were far too busy watching the exchange and wondering what the outcome would be. Besides, it was not a dangerous situation since neither was threatening the life of the other.

While Yusuke was trying to figure out what exactly just happened and how such a young _girl_ could get the better of him, Kagome had him on his back as she straddled his waist, her hands holding his wrists.

And Kuwabara had thought _his_ position had been compromising…

"What're you doing!" Yusuke sputtered, heat rushing to his face.

His intentions changed from stopping Kagome from attacking him with the tweezers, to just wanting to get out of their embarrassing positions. He began to lift his arms and once again, Kagome found him far too strong. He would easily get her off at this point and the girl could just not have that.

"Naaa—" Kagome gritted out as she struggled. "Sango, help!"

The other girl was hesitant with a clear "why me?" expression on her face, but moments later, she was beside the two and helping the diligent Kagome. After some struggling, Yusuke and Kagome ended in much the same arrangement, except now Sango was kneeling behind Yusuke and was half-leaning over his head as she held his arms, pinning them to the floor above his head.

Sango looked down into his face from above. "This is for your own good."

Despite her words, he still thrashed around and Sango knew even she could not hold him for long against his will. Even now, she felt him holding back, probably because he was trying not to injure the girls. How had one boy become so strong?

Miroku's rather dramatic sigh was heard even over all the commotion. "I envy you. I would feel lucky to have such fine women draped over me…"

All three mentioned parties blushed, though Kagome was over it the quickest. Sango avoided eye contact with the stranger below her and instead shot Miroku a look. "Stay out of this, monk."

"Just take it like a man," Kuwabara told his friend.

Yusuke gritted his teeth as his body became stricken. "I'll stop struggling if they'd just _get off_." He bucked his body during the last two words, but the girls held fast.

Kagome exchanged a look with her friend, wondering if the boy would stay true to his word. Obviously deciding, she lifted herself off Yusuke and sat down beside him while watching his cautiously. Sango, however, did not let go.

Yusuke tilted his head back to glance at the girl above him. "You don't trust me."

Sango did not know him well enough to trust him, but she did not say so. She was more concerned about him flailing about when the pain began, but knew he would be offended if she said that. Knowing no answer would please him, she merely let him go and slid backward. She thought she saw him glance at her curiously as he pushed himself up with his arms, but it must have been her imagination because the expression was not there a moment later. Instead there was suspicion there as Kagome advanced on him once more.

Sango was focused on the two of them as Kagome removed the shards, so much so that she felt a shock run through her as arms came from behind and slid around her waist. She became aware of her back pressed up against someone's body just as a murmur reached her ear.

"I wouldn't object to being pinned down by you, Sango…"

A blush crept up her neck and onto the demon slayer's face. She grasped his hands, pulled his arms away, and whirled around in one swift motion to give Miroku a sound slap across the cheek.

"You perverted monk!"

She had the attention of the strangers in the room, but did not care. She quickly stood and moved to the other side of the room, away from groping hands. Miroku gave her a cheeky grin as she glanced his way, one of his hands rubbing the rather large red mark on his face.

Kagome had continued treating Yusuke during the whole outburst while not at all reacting to the two of them. She had seen almost the exact scene far too many times for it to actually get a reaction out of her. In fact, the exchange between monk and slayer had actually been beneficial because during that time Yusuke had been focused on them instead of the pain she was causing, making her job simpler.

It took a few minutes, but then Kagome declared Yusuke was good to go. He had not suffered as many cuts as Kuwabara nor had he had many shards of glass still lodged in him. With the need of just a few small bandages, he was then no longer at the mercy of Kagome.

Yusuke stood and grabbed his shirt that Kagome had commanded he take off once he started cooperating somewhat. While pulling it on, he asked, "so where the hell is this place? Everything's different. And _why_ did we end up here?"

The first question was open for anyone to answer, but the second he directed at his companion as he plopped down next to him. Kagome was not sure how exactly to answer so instead occupied herself by pulling Shippo onto her lap. Inuyasha was still sulking about helping the strangers in the first place and displayed his stubbornness by remaining quiet all throughout the talk. Sango glanced at Miroku.

"How am I supposed to know where? I didn't plan this! It's not like—" Kuwabara began.

Before he could go on, Miroku interrupted. "I don't think it's a question of where you are, but when you are." The monk glanced at Kagome as he spoke as though seeking the approval and seeing if his assumption was correction.

She gave a small nod in response. Yes, she was sure of it now more than ever. She knew where, or rather when, it was they came from, not only because of their clothes, but because of their manners and attitudes too. The question, and an important one too, was _how_? And why had they been falling from the sky?

"Whaddya mean?" Yusuke asked.

Sango was the one to answer. "You're in the Feudal Era now."

Their faces must have betrayed their ignorance since Kagome added, "five hundred years in the past."

Shocked was an understatement. Yusuke would have been less surprised if a giant hole suddenly appeared beneath him and swallowed him whole. Surprise, annoyance, anger, dread… all those feelings and more swept through him. How the hell could this have happened?

"Five hundred years? _Five hundred years?_" Yusuke gave Kuwabara a hard shove. "Nice going, you idiot!"

One of his hands curled into a fist that Kuwabara banged into the floor. "I was trying to stop it from happening! We were just sent too far back!"

Damn, why? Why had that demon sent them back and why five hundred years? Was it a mistake? If he had no intention of helping Kuwabara, it made no sense to send them anywhere at all. It could have been a mistake… maybe he had been trying to help and made a mistake… Or he wanted to get them out of the way.

Yusuke glanced at Kuwabara and saw the obvious agonizing and torment his friend was going through. He gritted his teeth, but let his anger with his friend slid away. For now.

He fell backward to let his back rest against the wall with a _clank_, letting out a heavy breath. And as Yusuke became slightly less irritated, he suddenly remembered something important. "What about Kurama and Hiei? Did they get sent back too?"

"They had to. They were right there."

"You guys aren't making much sense," Kagome informed them. "But if you're looking for anyone else, I didn't see anyone else falling." She looked around at her friends and most of them shook their heads. No one had seen anyone else descending from the sky; that was something they were unlikely to forget.

"Doesn't sound too good for your friends though," Shippo chipped in.

The two strangers glanced at him and Sango clarified by saying, "if they came here the same way you did, being unconscious in a demon-infested land, their chances are slim."

A sudden sly, partially amused half-smile appeared on Yusuke's face. "They can handle themselves."

Hesitant for the first time, Kagome spoke. "I might know a possible way for you to go back to your time…"

But that was only if the well worked for them. It was choosy enough as it was, only letting Kagome and Inuyasha pass freely through. But since these strangers were from the time the well led to, would it allow them passage?

"There's a… portal back to our time."

She felt the glare and did not need to look to know it came from a certain hanyou. It was obvious he did not like or trust these strangers. Telling them such valuable information as the fact that there was a passage to Kagome's time… He was not pleased.

When Yusuke questioned her when she stated "our time", Shippo gave the boy his best I'm-smarter-than-you look (he'd been practicing). "Well, duh! Look at how funny she's dressed!"

"Hey!" Kagome cried indignantly, glaring down at the kitsune in her lap.

He smiled sheepishly and began petting his own tail out of nervous habit. "Sorry, Kagome. But you do dress funny."

"Anyway," Kuwabara announced as he tried to get back on topic. "We can't leave without finding Kurama first."

"And Hiei," added Yusuke while giving Kuwabara a hard stare.

"…And the shrimp." His voice seemed tight as he spoke. As though sensing the curious and suspicious glances from their hosts, Kuwabara then more lightheartedly said, "But do we have to?"

Kagome bounced to her feet, startling the rest of them, though mostly Shippo, who slid off her lap with a yelp. In the corner of the room leaned a bow that she grabbed. "Alright, what are we waiting for!"

Golden eyes narrowed as Inuyasha, though probably dreading the answer, asked, "what're you up to…?"

She winked and stuck her tongue out at him simultaneously, to which he rolled his eyes. Then she spun to face Yusuke and Kuwabara as she held up two of her fingers on her right hand. "We have two more angels to find!"

While Inuyasha muttered something along the lines of, "would you _stop_ calling them angels?", Yusuke stood, shaking his head.

"No."

Kagome dropped her hand and confusion swept over her; her face was covered in it. "Eh? Why?"

Kuwabara followed Yusuke's lead and stood, though he seemed just as lost as the girl. "Urameshi…"

He ignored him. "Thanks for the help, but we can handle this on our own," Yusuke told her.

Kagome lips tugged downward into a frown. "But…"

Inuyasha rose from his Indian style position on the floor and stood in front of Kagome. He met the eyes of the dark-haired stranger, annoyance clear in his amber ones. "Feh, they don't want our help, don't offer. Let 'em go."

She and Sango had helped them, she had healed them, and Kagome even offered their help. And if they had accepted, Inuyasha _might_ have helped, if only for Kagome's sake. But if they were that ungrateful, Inuyasha would _not_ have Kagome plead for them to accept their assistance.

Their eyes were locked and something passed between the two—an understanding of sorts. Then Yusuke gave a slight nod to the demon before exiting the hut without a word. Kuwabara opened his mouth as though to say something, but closed it after a moment. He gave several attempts but seemed to have nothing to say except a heartfelt thank you to Kagome before he followed in the trail of his comrade silently.

Yusuke was quite a distance away by the time Kuwabara left the hut and the orange-haired boy jogged to catch up with his friend. Kuwabara grabbed his arm when he reached him and spun him around.

"What was up with that, Urameshi?" Kuwabara asked angrily. "That was rude. They helped us and all. And they know this place better than we do! How do you even expect to find Kurama and Hiei?"

Yusuke tugged his arm away and met his angry gaze. "Look, we involved them enough already. It's our problem, we can't drag 'em into it. They don't know where our friends are so they can't help. And I personal don't wanna have to look after them."

Although Sango seemed as though she could hold her own in a fight and probably the dog-eared one too, he did not want to be responsible for them. He and Kuwabara were strong enough to hold their own without the aid of anyone else.

Kuwabara resolve faltered. "I guess your right…"

Yusuke shoved his hands into his pockets and began walking again. He offered Kuwabara a cocky half-smile. "What do we have to worry about anyway? Except for a few stray demons, they should all be locked up in the Makai, right? We'll be fine on our own."

Kuwabara glanced backward toward the hut and saw with some surprise that Kagome stood by the door with the fox child on her shoulder. He gave a slight, halfhearted wave, but turned to follow Yusuke once more.

It would all be alright. He would just keep telling himself it and maybe one day, it would actually become true.

* * *

The night was quiet as it often was in the Feudal Era. Only hushed sounds met their ears. The soft rustling of a sleeping bag; sharp snaps as small animals crept through the woods around them; the trickling of a stream nearby, as well as a few crickets chirping. Crickets… 

Bug spray. Darn, Kagome knew she forgot something when she came back! And with all the chaos, she had totally forgotten about it until now. It wasn't too bad when she was sleeping in Kaede's hut or in one of the villages when Miroku used his talents to get them housing at the finest house in the area, but out in the open like she was now… ugh, those annoying biting bugs!

She swatted one near her face away and beside her Shippo stirred in his sleep. She halted her movement instantly as to not disturb the kitsune. They had had a rough day; after all the excitement with the two strangers, Inuyasha had announced that it was time to go hunting for shards of the jewel, surprise, surprise. When Kagome had begun protesting—she _had_ slightly overexerted herself when healing the boy, Kazuma, though she would not admit that to Inuyasha—Inuyasha got angry and said they had wasted enough time when she was back in her own era. So without another complaint, the group had set off and had a rather tiresome day after having to fight a demon that crossed their path.

She wondered if Yusuke and Kazuma had had a rough day too. She had thought it would be too dangerous for them to be out on their own, though Sango had eased her mind by telling her they were not ordinary humans, or in the very least, Yusuke was not. She had seen Yusuke emit some strange power from his body and defeat a demon easily. That had stopped some of her worrying. At least they could take care of themselves.

Still, she could not stop herself from wondering aloud, "I wonder if those two are alright…"

Inuyasha grunted in response. Although he appeared asleep as he leaned against a nearby tree, sword clutched in his hand, she knew he was not. "Tch, don't waste your breath on those two. Who cares what happens to them?"

"They'll have to come back eventually," Miroku assured her and she relaxed slightly. "They need you to get home, Kagome."

"I guess…"

With a sigh, she shifted onto her side as she pulled the sleeping bag so that it covered her shoulders. Her eyes closed when she yawned and she did not have the strength to open them once more… until she felt an alert sound inside her.

Her eyes shot open and she sat up so quickly, she almost knocked Shippo away. He woke with a start and began to speak, but Inuyasha beat him to it.

"What's wrong?" he questioned urgently.

She jumped to her feet and grabbed her bow. Her head snapped to the side and she met Inuyasha's gaze. "There's something with a shard coming this way. And fast."

Sango had sat up when Kagome did, but now both she and Kirara were on their feet, ready for action. Miroku used his staff to help himself up and although there were dark circles under his eyes, he was entirely alert.

Inuyasha unsheathed his sword and it immediately transformed. A wicked smile played across his lips. "Bring it on."

Kagome could sense the demon coming closer still until all were able to hear and feel the earth shake like thunder beneath them. It was charging straight for the group and it only gained more speed when it spotted them. With malicious intents in mind, the demon's attention turned toward the sword and its wielder instantly.

Without stopping, the demon dashed right at Inuyasha. Inuyasha smirked and swung at the demon, but to his amazement, Tetsusaiga only bounced off the demon's skin with a loud _clink_. The demon then rammed full bodily into Inuyasha and sent his flying backward until he finally slammed into a tree.

The two-headed dragon demon watched Inuyasha as he eased himself back onto his feet. The youkai stood on its hindmost paws while its two lengthy arms draped down from its center, one clenched into a challenging fist. Wings were folded along its scaly back that fluttered slightly as it moved forward, toward Inuyasha.

In one fluid motion, Inuyasha leapt up while grabbing his sword and attacked again. The demon met the attack with one of its thick claws that grabbed the blade. They, too, remained undamaged; an impressive feat.

Kagome had her arrow aimed and released it as the demon pushed Inuyasha's sword away. It met its mark but it was deflected easily off its body, much to Kagome shock, especially when the demon hardly reacted as though it were the smallest of nuisances. Sango tried her luck next with her hiraikotsu, and although it forced a groan out of the demon, it ricocheted off its side. The scales of the demon were just too durable for their attacks to breach its defense.

The dragon's tail flailed out and tripped both Sango and Miroku, sending them to the ground. Kirara ran forward to clamp her teeth down in its side, but had to almost immediately pull away. She would sooner crack her teeth than penetrate the dragon demon's natural armor.

While the demon defended itself against Inuyasha's attacks, it kept only one head focused on him. The other was winding its way around, eyes exploring this way and that. One eye's gaze slid over Kagome and she gasped as she felt the shards around her neck pulse against her skin. Its head turned toward her sharply as another pulse ran through her.

Its lips pulled back to reveal its teeth, glistening as salvia dripped from its mouth. A low _hiss_ met her ears and she slowly began reaching back for an arrow… too late.

Its body was turned and in mid-leap before she could grope for an arrow. Her gaze followed it upward and she shrunk away, squeezing her eyes shut as it shadow engulfed her.

"_Wind Scar_!"

One eye squeezed open after a long pause and the other quickly followed as Kagome saw the two sizzling halves of the demon plop down to opposite sides of the ground with Inuyasha standing behind it. The demon had been split right in half. Her left hand rose to her chest as she contained her heart from leaping out of her body.

"That was a close one," she muttered to herself. Wild eyes looked accusingly at the hanyou. "Did you have to wait so long!"

"Can't you be at all thankful?" he shot back.

He let Tetsusaiga rest in its hilt after forcing it in with a sharp jab. He was left muttering about annoying women who didn't know when praise was due as he turned his back to her and the others. Big mistake.

Both sides of the demon began shuddering violently and the open, bloodied flesh bubbled and shifted. Kagome yelled for Inuyasha as she fumbled for an arrow. Her hand met with air at first until she finally felt the familiar feeling of feathers. She grasped it and heard Inuyasha swear, all the while watching as the two separate corpses came alive into demons.

She strung the bow with speed that only came with practice and aimed higher than she had before. The arrow whizzed out of her hands and flew toward her target, the rightmost demon's eyes. It would have been the perfect shot. The demon had no knowledge of the arrow's threat, but as Inuyasha attacked from in front, it dodged and moved out of the arrow's unalterable path.

The demon's thick fingers grabbed onto the sword and as Inuyasha was forced into a battle of strengths, the dragon jerked its head down and bit down into the hanyou's shoulder. The sword was forced to drop from his hand and blood gushed down his arm and into the demon's mouth as a harsh, unpleasant sound escaped Inuyasha. With its now free hand, the demon smashed it into Inuyasha and sent him flying, tearing a chunk out of his shoulder in the meantime.

The dragon demon took a step toward where Inuyasha had fallen, but reared its head and body up as blue flames danced in front of his face, attacking him. Not long after Shippo had launched himself at his face and beat against it as Kagome grabbed and gave a hard yank to the demon's tail to keep it distracted.

Though Kagome could hear Sango and the others struggling against the second half of the demon, she could spare no time to glance at them—which was rather unfortunate. A scaly arm came from behind and wound itself around her waist, lifting her off the ground. Surprised, the bow dropped out of her hand, but her recovery was quick and she was flailing about while in its grasp. She only paused once to marvel at the demon as it spread its single wing that stretched itself and lifted the two into the air.

Inuyasha immediately leapt to his feet, though obviously in pain since his left hand gripped his shoulder tightly. His claw tightened its grip and he turned his head sharply.

"Sango! Go—"

"Already ahead of you." The demon slayer's response was curt as she rushed by on Kirara, taking to the air. "You and Miroku handle this one."

Sango kept her body low against Kirara as her neko friend gained more speed. The demon glanced back only once and after seeing its unwelcome follower, it sped forward. Sango gripped Kirara tighter with one hand while the other readied her weapon. With a powerful swing she let her hiraikotsu fly through the air toward the demon, wishing it speed and accuracy.

The demon knocked it away as though it were merely a child's toy, much to the slayer's annoyance. Then abruptly the demon lost its speed; so abruptly, in fact, that Kirara could not slow to match it in time. The demon was upon them without a moment's notice and swiped at Kirara's head.

The blow caused the neko to flip and the surprised Sango slipped off of Kirara with a startled cry. Kirara was tossed aimlessly away and too dazed to do anything about it.

"Sango!" Kagome yelled as her friend spiraled downward into the forest below.

Furious, yet determined, Kagome wriggled one of her arms free of confinement. Her hand shot angrily back and grabbed one of her arrows. The demon paid her no heed.

With both hands, she dug the point into the demon's arm, summoning not only her physically, but also spiritually strength without realizing it. Within all logic, it should not have penetrated the scales, but it did. The point imbedded itself deeply within, going far past the surface.

The demon let out a ferocious roar as a pink light played like fire around the arrow and the skin around it. The dragon started toward the ground and when it was within a few feet, it tossed Kagome to the ground. She tucked her arms and legs close to her and rolled as she hit the grass.

Her arms tingled as they took most of the beating and she quickly tried to get to her feet when she stopped moving, but the demon's tail suddenly walloped into her chest and she was forced flat onto her back.

She raised herself up on her elbows shakily and saw the demon standing above her. A meaty arm lifted and she cringed, waiting to be struck… but the blow never came.


	4. Lost

**Redirection**

**Chapter Four:**

**Lost**

"_Are you one of the angels?" —Kagome Higurashi_

* * *

She winced as she stood up from the ground. Her body protested the abuse, but she moved regardless of its complaints. Turning quickly, she glanced around her, but only saw trees every way she looked. 

"Kagome…?" she called. "Kirara!"

Sango bent down to pick up her hiraikotsu, but almost immediately dropped it. A sharp pain shot through her right arm and she grabbed the wounded limb as a small hiss escaped her. Damn, she must have hurt it when she landed. At least that was all she injured; she had taken quite a fall.

More carefully, she took the weapon with her other hand and slung the strap across her shoulder. She tried to flex her dominant arm and although the pain was still apparent, it was not altogether too bad. As long as she used it at a minimum, it should be alright all on its own.

Her eyes searched the darkness, looking for any sign of either of her friends. She saw none, but it did not deter her for long. She began walking in the direction that she thought she had seen Kagome taken away, though she could not be sure.

Her steps, however, soon slowed to a near stop as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle.

Something was watching her.

Her hand inched toward her sword out of habit before she remembered that it was injured. Instead, her non-dominant hand grabbed the hilt and drew the blade in an unhurried movement.

Sango stopped walking and stayed absolutely still. The presence she felt was not human, of that much she was sure. Something was lurking… waiting for her? Or did she happen to be in the right place, right time?

A small rustling of cloth caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. Abruptly, she spun around as her hand tightened its grip on her weapon.

On one of the branches of a nearby tree, a demon stood, watching her from above. She could not clearly see the body of it, but there was no mistaking the sharp red eyes she saw. Then within a tenth of a second of seeing it, it was gone, leaving her to wonder if it had been nothing but her imagination.

* * *

Kagome felt a sense of perplexity surround her as she felt nothing. No pain, no sense of being touched or grabbed. Just… nothing. 

She let her arm drop from its protective position and gazed up at the demon. It was then that she saw the strangest thing.

There was a _vine_ wrapped around its arm, preventing it from striking her. It tried to move against the plant, swinging its arm this way and that, but it could not break the strong hold the vine had on it.

Since when do plants grow _that_ fast?

Her eyes curiously traced the vine that coiled itself around the dragon demon's arm, following it until she found its origin. And there she saw another odd thing, for when her eyes found the end of the plant, they also found a boy.

Not a demon, but a boy, holding onto the end of the vine. Controlling it? It was a definite possibility. She _had_ seen stranger things.

The demon reared its head back and roared with anger and frustration. It quickly brought its mouth down to the vine intending to bite through its restrictions, regardless of the fact that there seemed to be thorns covering it. The plant, however, retracted itself just as the dragon demon tried to sink its teeth into it. The demon reacted immediately, leaping forward to grab Kagome. It was no doubt trying to escape once more, but it needed her since she had the shards. Well, she would just have to spoil that plan.

She rolled out of the way as soon as she saw the demon in motion and the grasping claws missed their target. She scrambled to her feet and her legs were quickly guiding her toward the stranger before her mind had fully decided what it wanted to do. Before she could reach him however, she felt more than saw the demon swipe at her legs, causing her feet to get taken out from under her. She slammed into the ground and her chin banged against something hard, stunning her momentarily.

Kagome flopped onto her back when her senses came back to her, only to see the demon approaching again. Then the vine abruptly slapped the ground in between her and the demon, a warning to the creature. The dragon hissed, though kept its distance.

She gave a sidelong glance toward the boy and realized for the first time that the vine was in fact a thorny whip, as strange as that fact was. He cracked the whip once again, this time scolding the demon's leg. It hardly fazed the demon.

"The demon's skin is too thick, that won't pierce…" Kagome began.

He raised his arm and as she watched, the whip started moving faster than her poor eyes could follow. Her eyes widened as they attempted to follow the lightning fast motion, but could only spot blurs of movement as the demon's body jerked and jolted because of the blows.

"…Or not…"

The demon stilled suddenly, causing Kagome to stare in bewilderment. What had happened? Had the attack not worked?

Multiple slits appeared all along its body, too many for Kagome to count in time. Blood leaked out for a moment before it burst from the slashes, covering the demon's entire body. Before her eyes, she watched the demon fall to pieces, quite literally.

Kagome let out a breath she did not know she was holding, the air escaping her as a sigh of relief. She hopped to her feet as she brushed the dirt and grass off of her clothes. So focus she was on tidying her appearance and making sure she was not hurt that she momentarily forgot about the boy until he spoke.

"Are you alright?"

She started at the smooth voice, obviously surprised. She turned toward her helper with a smile.

"Yeah, thanks to you. Thanks for the help."

He nodded in turn and must have said something along the lines of it being no trouble, but she did not really hear it. Her attention was more directed on taking in the new person in front of her as she had done with the others much earlier that day. He certainly stood out; she would be able to pick him out in any crowd, no problem. His long locks of red and his emerald eyes would be dead giveaways.

The whip he once held was no where in sight, which made her curious. Would he discard such a beneficial weapon? And if not, where was he hiding it? Surely she would see it if it was hidden beneath his clothes. And speaking of his clothes, she knew they did not belong in this time period. Could it be…?

She had no more time to ponder though, because something he said caught her interest.

"Ah, you're bleeding…"

She must have looked puzzled as she gazed down at herself to try and find any wounds and came out unsuccessful, because he added, "your chin."

A hand immediately went to her chin and she winced as she touched it. She gazed down at bloodstained fingers for a moment before using the end of her sleeve to wipe at her face, even though it stung her. It must have been bleeding for awhile since some had dribbled down her chin and onto her neck.

"Well that's _quite_ attractive," she remarked to herself dryly. "Must have hurt it when I fell..."

Her poor white shirt was dirtied further as she wiped the trickles of blood off her face and throat. Once she had gotten it as much off her skin as she could, she held the end of her sleeve against the scrape in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

Her thoughts came back to her and she remembered what she had wanted to ask.

"Are you one of the angels?"

She titled her head slightly to one side as she questioned him, while peering at him with a curiousness that was usually reserved for puppies and children. An enigmatic smile graced his face.

"I can assure you, I am no angel."

An odd look appeared on her face as she clearly tried to figure out the deeper meaning behind the words, but gave up and took them for surface value. He was probably just kidding around with her.

"I mean," she clarified unabashed, "do you know Yusuke or Kazuma… or both of them, I guess."

It was possible she was mistaken, but he looked surprised, though he quickly composed himself.

"Yes, as a matter of fact."

Yes! One down and one to go. She bet she was making better progress than either Yusuke or Kazuma were at finding their own friends. Ha! She knew they would need her help!

Her thoughts made her grin as she held out her free hand to him. "I'm Kagome."

"Shuichi," he replied as he took the offered hand.

Some people said that it was possible to figure out much about a person just by their handshake. Kagome did not know much about that, but his hand was firm, yet soft as he gripped hers, giving her hand a customary squeeze. Maybe she was not an expert on it, but judging by the way he did not try to overpower her with his handshake, nor was he too gentle because she was a woman, he seemed a kind, respectable guy. At least, that was what she thought it might mean.

"So you're from the future too?" she inquired. He gave her a curious look and she recognized her mistake. "Oh! Of course. You don't know yet."

"What don't I know?"

"You've been transported five hundred years into the past. Apparently because of something Kazuma did, or that's what Yusuke was saying." She said it in a very matter-of-fact tone, throwing around her words offhandedly. Shuichi only remained quiet and listened attentively. "They don't know how exactly you got here…" She let her voice trial off, but he did not speak. She took that as a sign he did not know either. "…but don't worry, I might have a way for you guys to get back."

"If this is the Feudal Era, I'd have to say by your apparel that you are from the same time I am."

The boy gestured to her clothing and she glanced down at her modern shirt and skirt. She really did not fit in with the whole Era she was currently in, as Shippo had pointed out before.

"May I inquire as to why you're here in this Era?"

Her smile faltered as she turned away from Shuichi and blatantly focused her attention elsewhere. "It's… a long story," she said.

A familiar glint caught her eye and she was silently thankful for the distraction. She stepped over to the demon's remains and then through them, careful to avoid the chunks of meaty flesh. She eyed them with suspicion, remembering how the two dead halves had come to life before, but they did not so much as twitch. It looked like the demon could no longer resurrect itself. Yay.

Although she saw another sparkle, she did not need her sight to find the small piece of jewel. The piece was calling out to her all on its very own. She picked up the small fragment and let it purify itself as it lay innocently in her palm.

Here. Here in her hand was the reason she was still in this Era. One stupid mistake had led to the biggest wild goose chase she had ever been on.

She sighed to herself as she squeezed the shard in her hand. Then her grip loosened and she let it slip into her pocket for now. Composing herself, she turned back to Shuichi, her smile back in place, though it did not quite reach her eyes. Well, he probably did not notice anyway. Men were so bad with things like that.

"I have to get back to my friends or Inuyasha will worry," Kagome explained to him. "But I'll help you find your friends too."

"I thought you already found them," he said.

"Well, I—we did," Kagome told him. A familiar, small frown appeared on her lips. "But for some reason, Yusuke didn't want our help…"

* * *

"Damn it!" Yusuke cursed. "Why are there so many freakin' demons!" 

He dodged another one of the attacks easily, which gave Kuwabara ample time to take a swing at the demon. The sword reduced it to mere pieces on the ground with just the one strike. Pathetic really, just as most of the demons that were bothering the two were.

But what got to Yusuke was, why were there so goddamn many of them? Weren't they all supposed to be locked up in the demon world? That group had not warned him about _this_, the constant demon harassment.

He shot Kuwabara a look when it seemed he was about to open his mouth, knowing what he would say. "_I told you we should have taken their help, Urameshi!"_ or something equally as annoying. Well, hell if he needed help from anyone. He could handle these weak demons just fine. He was just a bit… surprised. Yeah, that was it.

"Hold up a sec, Urameshi."

He had not realized he had been walking so fast, so determined, so _annoyed_. Yusuke stopped and turned when his comrade spoke. And almost wished he hadn't.

"Oh, _hell_ no. You've got to be kidding me."

Kuwabara was crouched down on the ground, inspecting the small, furry creature lying on the grass. The creature seemed unconscious for it did not respond as Kuwabara gently prodded its side. Yusuke understood why his friend took a liking to it, for he immediately recognized it as a cat—then almost just as soon changed his opinion when he saw _two_ tails instead of one.

"Don't pick it up," Yusuke snapped as Kuwabara defied him and cradled it in his arms.

"It's a kitten. And it's hurt." His voice was defensive as he spoke, holding the feline close to him. He met Yusuke's eyes rebelliously.

"It's a _demonic_ kitten."

"…Still a kitten."

Damn Kuwabara and his love for cats.

With a loud 'tch', Yusuke spun around and kept walking. "When it wakes up and _eats _you, don't come cryin' to me."

Kuwabara grinned. "Don't be silly. It's tiny, how could it possibly eat me?"

However, Yusuke refused to acknowledge his friend as long as he held onto that feline and so ignored his words. He kept to his conviction even as they stumbled upon yet _another_ demon, though this time it was Yusuke's fault. He had the misfortune of kicking a rock that was not a rock at all, but a very small, very obnoxious youkai. Silly him.

They wandered aimlessly since they had no clue as to where to look. The only thing Yusuke knew was that he had woken up in a forest, so that being his best guess, he searched the woods for signs of either one of his other two comrades. No luck so far.

_Swoosh_.

He heard the noise and just as soon spun and shot a small blast of energy in the direction. All these demon were _pissing him off_. A branch swayed ominously behind him, but he saw nothing. Then in one quick motion, something dropped down in front of him and simultaneously, he had his hand pointed at it, ready.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Somewhat familiar golden eyes met his own, clear annoyance and distaste in them. It was the demon from before, the one who had been with Sango and those others. Before, he had looked only irritated by Yusuke and Kuwabara's presence. Now he looked deadly. His shoulder was a bloody messy and his arm looked no better since the blood had been dripping down it. His claws were covered in crimson and his eyes were sharper than ever, more alert.

One of his white ears twitched. He was not pleased to see them. Yusuke did not move his hand away, keeping it in its gun-like position.

"You guys again?" came another, smaller voice.

The kitsune peaked out from beneath the long, silver hair before he dropped down from the dog demon's shoulder. He looked around until he found the one dressed as a monk, who had just appeared as well. Yusuke glanced quickly around too, but saw no one else.

"What happened to the girls?" he asked with distrust.

The monk offered an explanation. "Kagome has been taken by a demon."

The man shrugged the bag he was carrying off his shoulder. He let the bow he held lean against it, though there was no quiver in sight. Weird, but Yusuke was not one to judge, though he finally let his hand rest tensely at his side.

"Hey!" the kitsune suddenly exclaimed. He scurried over to Kuwabara and pointed an accusing finger at the tall boy. "What are you doing with Kirara?"

Kuwabara gazed down at the unconscious cat in his arms with confusion written all over his face. "Huh?"

The young demon rolled his eyes and jumped onto Kuwabara. He proceeded to scamper up his side with little regard to whether Kuwabara would allow him to or not. The kitsune gave the cat a few pokes here and there while Kuwabara tried to move his arms to keep him out of reach of the feline. The kitsune, however, merely climbed onto his arm and continued his abuse even as Kuwabara protested, saying he should not disturb the kitten.

"What are you talking about, Kirara's much—" Yusuke began, but stopped.

The kitsune gave the neko one finally, sharp jab. The cat suddenly woke with a start, jumping out of the boy's arms. Just as its feet touched the ground, a thin layer of smoke surrounded it and it changed into the Kirara Yusuke knew.

Kirara hissed at the kitsune. He smiled nervously and gulped, climbing onto Kuwabara's back to put the boy between the two. "Nice Kirara…. A little help here, Miroku?"

Miroku's lips formed into a thin line and he chose not to respond to the kitsune. "But if Kirara is here, where is Sango?"

"You can't even hold your own and you guys were offering us help?"

His arms were crossed, his body was taut. Yusuke knew he sounded ungrateful, which he did not mean to be, but it was too late now.

The amber-eyed demon growled and stepped toward Yusuke in a very "wanna fight?" type manner. Yusuke accepted the challenge as he too took a step forward. He cracked his knuckles. He was just _itching_ to get into a good fight. The pathetic demons that were attacking were nothing, but this demon… he could sense that he might be a challenge.

The demon raised a clawed hand.

"Whoa, guys…" Kuwabara said around the same time that the monk said knowingly, "Inuyasha, Kagome…"

The hand lowered and an aggravated sound left Inuyasha. "I don't have time for this," he muttered. He turned his back to them all, including Yusuke, and the delinquent felt it as a sharp insult.

"Miroku, Shippo, stay here. You're just gonna slow me down."

Inuyasha took off running before jumping onto a nearby branch and continued on from there. He was out of sight quickly, leaving his companions behind without even a glance back.

"How rude! I wanted to save Kagome too," Shippo complained. He jumped off Kuwabara and ran to his friend.

Miroku sighed as he helped the kitsune onto his shoulder. "We should look for Sango. It disturbs me that she somehow got separated from Kirara, especially since Kirara was unconscious."

Miroku grabbed his things and both acknowledged Yusuke and Kuwabara as they turned to leave.

"Wait," Yusuke said with some reluctance. Damn, he had a feeling he was going to regret this, but… "We'll help you look for Sango. I at least owe her that much."

"We're already looking for our friends, what's one more person," Kuwabara said when Miroku looked inquiringly his way.

A roaring sound from Kirara grabbed all their attention. She sniffed the ground and bound off to the east, trotting away from the group.

"It seems Kirara has picked up her trail."

* * *

The first signs of daylight peaked through the leaves and began to illuminate certain aspects of their surroundings. It did not make Kagome happy. No, happiness would not come until she could actually _sleep,_ which would not come anytime in the near future. She had not rested at all that night, nor would she let herself find a few moments of bliss in sleep. 

Instead, she staggered tiredly as she walked after the redhead, never saying a word of protest. She kept walking and walking for what seemed like forever. It went on until she accidentally let a loud yawn slip (she had kept them so silent so far!) and Shuichi abruptly stopped.

"We can rest now…"

He began talking, but Kagome cut him off when she sharply shook her head. "No, if you can keep going then I can too."

"You're extremely tired."

Again, she shook her head. "I've stayed up later." Like that time when her and Eri had pulled an all-nighter, staying up late to gossip and watch movie. Now was just like that. Except with no cheesy chick flicks. And no talk about cute boys.

"You've been staggering for awhile," he countered. Darn, he had noticed?

She shook it off and countered his counter by giving him "the look" as her mom always called it. She said it reminded her of Kagome's father, what with how her mouth became stubborn and her eyes bore an intense, no-nonsense gaze.

It earned her a soft laugh from him. "No matter how much I argue, you're not going to let me convince you otherwise, are you?"

Kagome let the look drop and, even though she knew it would completely ruin the effect, she smiled. "Nope! So you might as well stop now."

Some of her energy seemed to return to her during their small conversation and she welcomed it with open arms; she would take anything she could get.

They continued on for what had to have been an hour Kagome reckoned, since it seemed to draw out for an agonizingly long stretch of time. She no longer bothered to pay attention to anything around her except for the boy in front of her, for it made life easier that way.

Yet even her awareness of him dwindled at times, which was why she was surprised as she suddenly ran into his outstretched arm.

"There is a demon coming this way."

Kagome instinctively reached for a bow that was not there and abruptly felt naked for having found it missing. Her arrows might still be of some use though and so she reached back toward her quiver.

"I think it's a better idea that we don't fight. We are both tired," he explained. She did not believe him in the least, for he seemed fit to walk ten miles or more in his condition. "And you need rest."

Not _that_ again. …But she did not argue.

At Shuichi's suggestion, Kagome reached for a branch of a nearby tree with his help. She hoisted herself and began climbing upward. A glance below her showed Shuichi following. Halfway up the tree, a disconcerting thought came to her.

"You better not be looking up my skirt!" Kagome called down to him as her foot reached for a higher limb.

She could hear the smile as he replied, "surely I am more chivalrous than that."

She wasn't entirely sure why, but for some reason because of the way he answered, her foot lost its grip on the branch for a moment. As quickly as she felt her foot drop, there was a sudden hand on the back of her thigh, supporting her weight. A blush crept up her face and she quickly rose to a higher branch.

Finally, when she thought she had gone high enough, she plopped down on a fairly large branch that she was more than sure could hold her weight. Shuichi easy lifted himself up and took the available spot next to her on the limb.

They waited for a while until at long last a bear-looking demon strolled by underneath them. It did not seem to be looking for trouble, so even if it was able to sense or smell them, the demon did not seem to care.

"The path is clear," Shuichi informed her softly, only to feel her weight on his shoulder and arm. He glanced beside him and saw as he expected. Kagome was sound asleep at his side.

With some effort, he used his power to bend a few branches to cradle the sleeping girl. And with that done, he waited.


	5. Found

**Redirection**

**Chapter Five:**

**Found**

"_Flattery won't get you anywhere." —Inuyasha _

* * *

Sango cupped the liquid in her hands momentarily before splashing her face with the cool water. The gentle trickling of the stream was enough to almost lull Sango into sleep, but she resisted. She had only slept for a quick ten minute break that night, not feeling safe enough to sleep anymore than that. The lack of sleep made the sunlight pouring down on her merciless and she did her best to ignore it. Her only hope was that she could find her friends or reach Kaede's village soon. 

She repeated the process again in an attempt to wake herself up while removing a few smudges of dirt from her face. A dulling pain shot through her right arm and she grasped it with her other hand briefly, gritting her teeth.

Unhurriedly, she began to bring the water cupped in her hands upward. The slowed movement, however, caused her to notice her reflection in the water. And beyond that, she noticed another's mirrored image, a figure high in the trees. A male figure.

Sango paused as she watched him for a second, then went on as if nothing had happened. She washed her face like normal, though her body was unusually tense. Then without warning she spun around, her sword in her dominant hand and ready…

—But he was gone.

Had she just been seeing things?

With a sigh, she turned around… only to find the demon in front of her. A jolt of surprise surged through her, but before she could even raise her arm, he had moved again and pushed her backward.

She managed to steady herself before she could fall and quickly took a swipe at him, but her blade only met air as he moved to the other side again. Another swing and then a third, but her sword came in contact with nothing as he moved from side to side. All she could see was a blurry shape as he easily dodged.

And she thought _Kouga_ was fast.

He disappeared from her sight abruptly and within that confused moment she felt herself falling forward. Surprised, she threw up her arms to brace her impact with the water. She broke the surface harshly and her forearms slammed against the river's bed, taking the brunt of the blow. She hastily twisted her submerged body and sat up, bringing her head and shoulders, along with her knees above the water.

The first thing her gaze met with were two crimson eyes. Her eyes locked with his, but she could not decipher any emotion from them. Then all her senses kicked in and she studied the demon in front of her. From one glance, she knew he was not one to be taken lightly. He was not a tall demon, but she could feel his presence towering over her, pressing against her. His gaze screamed of power and arrogance, which was almost never a good mix.

That gaze though… those crimson eyes… hadn't she seen them before?

"Why are you following me?"

He did not answer. Instead, he sneered at her. "Done attacking already?"

Her hand gripped the hilt tighter, but she did not move. Her body began to feel numb because of the cold water rushing by her and she was somewhat thankful for it. It took away the throbbing of her dominant arm after she had foolishly used it to hold her sword.

As he did not answer her question, she did not respond to his. Not that he was expecting a response anyway except for anger, which her face probably already displayed. A heavy silence set over the both of them and only the sound of the river was heard. Neither moved.

It caught her by surprise when it was he who broke the silence first.

"…What is this place?"

She was not sure if he expected an answer and frankly, in a normal situation, she probably would not have given one. However, she realized something as he spoke.

"You're one of them, aren't you? A friend of Kuwabara's and—"

"I have no friends," came the sharp reply. "Especially not that idiot."

Malice tainted his words. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck prickle as his power surged through the area around him as his anger grew.

Obviously she had struck a nerve. But his reaction meant that he _did_ know them and that was something. Was he one of the people Yusuke and Kuwabara were looking for? Or perhaps he was the demon Kagome said Kuwabara had mentioned… He certainly was not human. It was in her best interest to be wary of him then.

Sango stood, ignoring the chills that ran up and down her body. She sheathed her sword and grabbed her hiraikotsu that was laying by the bank of the river. When she stopped paying attention to him and moved freely about without his consent, she knew he had to have been greatly irritated and a part of her was satisfied with that. However, when she saw him take a step, Sango knew he was about to disappear and she inwardly sighed.

"Wait—"

Her hand reached out in an attempt to stop him from going. A mistake.

One blink from her and the demon was suddenly facing her with his sword pressed against her throat. He could have sliced her head off and she would have never known—she would have been too busy being _dead_ and all.

This last one was certainly no angel.

Using her hand, Sango pushed away the blade with ease; he did not resist. A risky move for she could have made things more complicated had he been more inclined to slit her throat. She was lucky he yielded to her touch. For the moment.

Her eyes met his once more, an intensity and defiance in them that was not there before. "You're angry at something. Or someone," she informed him. "Don't take it out on me."

On instinct, she threw up her hiraikotsu and was glad she did. She heard a dull _thank _as his sword met her demon-bone weapon. There had been no way she had seen that attack; she had just guessed that he might strike her after she spoke those words. She was right.

Sango let her boomerang-like weapon down and saw with a quick look around that he had vanished. She sighed and sat down beside the water once more as a shiver ran through her. Wet and cold, fatigue washed over her. She needed to find someone soon…

She had no idea how long she had been sitting there before she heard a voice behind her.

"Ah, and there the beauty sits. Awaiting Prince Charming, perhaps?"

Her body stiffened at first, but then relaxed. She answered nonchalantly, "if by 'Prince Charming' you mean yourself, no thank you. I'll keep waiting."

She kept the act up for a few moments to give effect to her words, but she could not help the small smile that spread across her face. With a glance over her shoulder, she looked back at Miroku… and with surprise, two unlikely people as well.

"Whoa, what happened to you?" Yusuke asked.

She gave him a questioning look until Kuwabara inquired, "decided to take a swim?" Though it was clear he thought otherwise.

Slowly Sango stood and turned to the group without a word. Kirara walked forward and nuzzled her side, immediately knowing that something was bothering her. The small smile found its way back onto the slayer's face but just as before, it did not quite meet her eyes.

"What's wrong, Sango?" Shippo asked in all his childlike innocence.

Sango glanced at the two strange boys from Kagome's time and then found herself glancing at the tree she had seen him in. Of course, there was nothing there now.

"…Nothing."

* * *

He came to a stop by the base of a tree, having followed Kagome's scent to that exact spot. But there it seemed to end, except… it went higher. 

Inuyasha glanced up, gazing up past the many limbs and saw with a shock that Kagome sat midway up the tree in a tangle of branches. Next to her sat a boy, his back against the trunk as he watched an unconscious Kagome. Inuyasha knew for certain he was not what he seemed. There was a demonic air about him, which led Inuyasha to immediate dislike. Was this demon pretending to be human? And why did he have Kagome?

"Let her go!" Inuyasha growled.

His voice carried upward and he knew the boy demon heard him because he turned his attention toward Inuyasha, who was waiting to pounce at any moment.

"I think you misunderstand…" the redhead started.

"I can smell her blood," Inuyasha said as he unsheathed his sword. "Just give her to me!"

The redheaded boy made no move. He only gazed down at him with unnerving emerald eyes. "And how do I know your intentions are honorable?"

That made him falter. "…What?" No one had asked him _that_ before. Whenever Kagome got captured, he took her back. It was as simple as that.

"How do I know that if I give her to you, you won't harm her?" he asked, elaborating on his original question.

"You're the one that's holding her prisoner!" So why the hell was Inuyasha the one being questioned?

He jerked his Tetsusaiga to point toward the branches. The boy glanced at the enormous sword, to the branches, and then back again.

"If you remove them, she will fall."

Inuyasha gritted his teeth. Damn it, this guy was pissing him off!

The branches that held Kagome slid away and the boy took her into his arms instead. Inuyasha felt his anger rise at the action and his golden eyes narrowed, but he put his sword away, no matter how it pained him. At this point, if he attacked he would only end up hurting Kagome. Yet still, he could not hold himself back from leaping upward onto a branch and then bursting forward to take a swipe at the boy with his claws.

The redhead jumped away from the attack, landing neatly on the ground. With tender care, he let Kagome rest against the base of a nearby tree before turning to him as Inuyasha landed a few feet away. The boy took a step forward, putting himself between Kagome and the hanyou.

"That was unwise. What if you caused her to fall?" the stranger inquired. Then, as though not expecting an answer, he continued, "I mean her no harm."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, clear in their suspicion. "Then why don't you just hand her over?"

The redhead sighed. "We've already been through this. I don't know if you're a friend or foe of the girl."

"She knows me better than she knows you." _Why_ was he even explaining himself to this guy?

Inuyasha's joints cracked as he readied his hand to strike the boy. His eyes were fastened on the boy, carefully watching his every move. He became amused in a dark manner when his opponent reached behind him, into his own hair, and with a small flick of his locks, the boy took out a rose.

Inuyasha smirked unpleasantly. He would enjoy this.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere."

Sarcasm dripped from his words, though the effect diminished as the rose abruptly changed into a thorny whip. Emerald eyes were intense as he cracked the end of the weapon against the ground and stood in a prepared stance.

The hanyou began to charge forward, his hand ready to slash and tear flesh. Then something darted forward and threw itself in front of his opponent, startling Inuyasha. He skidded to a stop as a cry of "wait, don't!" met his ears, followed by an all too familiar yell of "sit!"

An indignant and pained shout left him as his body rejected every command his brain gave it and instead slammed him into the ground. He hated when she did that!

He jumped to his feet as soon as he had free reign over his body and threw Kagome a glare. She did not see it, however, because she was facing the redhead, her hands grasping his wrists. The hand holding the whip yielded to her touch and he saw the boy demon let his arm rest at his side.

Inuyasha felt his anger reach its boiling point. "This guy knocked you out! Why are you defending him?" Inuyasha shouted. Of all people to defend, shouldn't she have protected _him_?

She finally turned to give him the attention he sought when he spoke, though she gave him a look that clearly said she thought he was crazy. "Knocked me out? I was sleeping!"

He barely heard her. "And why are you throwing yourself on him and not _me_!"

Kagome turned with slightly wide eyes toward the boy and abruptly let go as she took a step away, as though she just realized she was still holding onto him and felt embarrassed about it. No, that would not do. Instead she quickly fixated on Inuyasha.

"Eh! What exactly are you suggesting, Inuyasha!"

It was his turn to turn red from embarrassment. "What? No! Only because you've been collecting jewel shards for me for so long—"

Wrong thing to say.

"SIT!"

There must have been some extra force in her words since it took him awhile to crawl out of the massive hole Kagome had created, via his body. He overheard her asking the stranger if he was alright and if the "bad Inuyasha" had hurt him, while pointedly ignoring the hanyou.

"First Kouga, now this guy…" he muttered, though Kagome overheard. He meant it in the way that she protected them over him, but she must have taken it some other way. Her face turned a shade of red and he was certain she would have spoken the vile word once more if the redhead—whom she had called "Shuichi"—had not distracted by asking if she knew Inuyasha.

Her arms crossed and she glanced away from the hanyou and off to the side as she replied nonchalantly, "unfortunately yes, we are well acquainted."

One of his ears twitched and his fingers clenched into a fist. "You can't _still_ be mad about—"

"Oh, Shuichi's one of the angels we—well, Yusuke and Kazuma—were looking for!" Kagome interrupted. She had no interest in hearing what he had to say. It would only get her angry again.

"…Don't call them angels." Inuyasha directed his gaze at Shuichi. "This one is far from being one."

Inuyasha kept his gaze locked on Shuichi, but could not fathom any type of particular expression from his face. It was not blank, yet he could not read his thoughts. It was impossible that the boy did not know he had a demonic aura about him, yet he did not at all react to Inuyasha's statement. It only furthered Inuyasha's suspicion of him.

Kagome's face showed her puzzlement, but she did not ask.

Inuyasha let out an exasperated breath when a tense silence wove its spell over the group. He quickly shattered it as he crouched low to the ground. "We should go find the others."

He saw her hesitate, but then Kagome climbed onto his back, linking her arms around his neck, though she did not hang on as tight as she usually did.

"Can you keep up?" Inuyasha asked Shuichi, barely glancing at him.

If it was up to him, he would have left the redhead standing there without a word, but knew he would never hear the end of it from Kagome. So, being the _kind_ person he was, he gruffly questioned the demonic boy.

Shuichi smiled and although Inuyasha was skeptical, there seemed to be no hidden agenda in it.

"I can keep up."


	6. United

**Redirection**

**Chapter Six:**

**United**

"_You forget just how long I've been alive." —Shuichi Minamino _

* * *

"Why do you keep calling him that?" 

Sango had not thought her question odd; she was merely curious. It earned her a funny look from both boys in question though, and she wondered if it had been a foolish thing to ask.

"Whaddya mean?" Yusuke asked.

Even though she gained the interest of all those walking around her, her steps did not falter. She walked unhesitant through the open field while the others kept the pace around her.

"You keep referring to each other with those names, 'Urameshi' and 'Kuwabara'."

Kuwabara scratched his head in a sheepish manner. "Well, yeah, that's 'cause those are our last name."

"Ah, so you have two names like Kagome does. That makes sense," Sango replied with a nod to herself.

The topic had caught Miroku's interest. "Is it customary to call someone by their last name?"

Yusuke shrugged. He either did not really know or did not care too much. "Depends on the situation. We do it just 'cause." At first he seemed like he might continue, but then changed his mind and decided to leave it at that.

"Which do you want to be called?"

Sango was looking ahead at Yusuke when she said it and he caught her gaze before she realized her rudeness and glanced at his friend as well. It was nothing personal. She just felt she knew Yusuke a slight bit more than she knew Kuwabara and was therefore more comfortable with him.

Each responded to her question, leaving her with the names "Yusuke" and "Kuwabara" to call each by.

Deep curiosity caused her to question them again. She asked rather discreetly, "The names of your friends… What are they?"

Kurama and Hiei. Those were the names Yusuke gave her. Sango could not help but find herself wondering which was the one she had met. Or maybe neither? All she knew was that the demon knew of Kuwabara from the way he reacted. Or perhaps even that was assuming too much. Maybe he had only reacted because she had made the assumption that he had "friends". What did she know?

She pondered further on the subject as the group continued walking. They did not pause until Shippo abruptly jumped down from Kirara's back and sniffed the area around him.

"Phew, I can smell dog!" he announced as he scrunched his little nose.

Sango and Miroku paused, glancing around the area surrounding them. Yusuke and Kuwabara came to a perplexed stop when they did.

"Translation?" Kuwabara inquired.

"Inuyasha is coming," the monk answered.

Right on cue, a shape burst from the trees behind them and raced toward the group. The dog-demon skidded to a stop when he reached them and Kagome immediately hopped off his back with a grumpy look on her face. She grumbled incoherently and muttered about getting abused by branches while she gave a quick brush over her clothes. Her fingers pulled at the various leaves and twigs in her disheveled hair in an attempt to untangle them, though she was having little luck.

She furiously shook her head, sending leaves everywhere as Shippo jumped confidently into her embrace. He climbed upward, helping her to remove the pieces.

"He just _has _to be a competitive male, showing off by getting here before Shuichi," Kagome muttered for Sango's ears alone. Then she caught sight of the others and, in a rather quick change of emotions, called happily, "Yusuke! Kazuma!"

Shuichi? Sango was left to wonder.

"Good, you found Sango," Inuyasha said to Miroku, while Kagome turned to Sango with a surprised and bewildered look as she asked, "you were lost?"

A redhead, who Sango assumed was Shuichi, emerged from the forest, coming from the direction Inuyasha had left so quickly. He slowed to a leisurely walk when he spotted the group and approached them.

Yusuke lifted a hand in greeting. "Hey, Kurama. Enjoying the mess Kuwabara got us into?"

While Kuwabara gave his friend a sharp jab in the ribs for the statement, both Kagome and Sango spoke simultaneously. "Kurama?"

"It's another name I go by," he explained. It was mostly for Kagome's benefit, who seemed confused by this new name.

"Now all we need is Hiei and then we can go home," Yusuke announced. He looked relieved.

"Home…" Kuwabara repeated. His expression was clouded and Sango noticed the worried look Kagome threw Kuwabara that he did not notice.

"Unfortunately, Hiei will be the most troubling to find," Kurama said.

"Why's that?" Sango asked.

"He's never been very cooperative."

At the same time, Kuwabara added, "the runt's not a team player."

Runt? It could have been the same demon she had met then. She had no way to be sure. What did it matter to her though? It should not have. Though she could not help but wonder why she had not told anyone of the brief encounter. She told herself it was not important, while she knew that it would obviously be to them.

She kept her silence on the topic for a reason she could not entirely decipher. And the silence remained even as they stopped at a nearby village to ask if anybody had seen their comrade. She doubted they would have any luck. In that, she was most certainly correct.

* * *

Their search through the village had ended in a stalemate, though still they remained there until after nightfall. Due to Miroku, they had been given fine rooms at the village's most luxurious house, though how exactly he did that seemed a tad bit shady. No one bothered to question him since a comfortable place to sleep was much looked forward to. Besides, Kagome had assured them it was per usual. 

Kurama had gone off to search on his own for much of the time the rest were asking around the village, for he thought he might have a slight better chance than the others at finding the missing fire demon. If his friend was anywhere nearby, however, he did not show himself to Kurama. It did not help at all that he was unfamiliar with the surroundings, otherwise he could take an educated guess as to where Hiei might hide out.

He would never have said so aloud, but he was worried if Hiei would ever show himself to them. He no longer had a reason to go back. Yukina had been his motive for almost everything. Now…

Kurama slid open the door and walked into the room, giving Kuwabara a nod of acknowledgement when their eyes met. The orange-haired boy looked away a moment later and a far off look settled itself upon his face. Sprawled out of the floor near him was Yusuke, his arms crossed underneath his head.

The Spirit Detective glanced up at Kurama as he heard him walk across the room. "Hey, Kurama, did ya know that there's no Makai here?"

"Yes, I was aware of that."

His surprise was apparent as an eyebrow was raised. "Eh? How?"

Kurama smiled in return. "You forget just how long I've been alive." He leaned against the wall across from where Yusuke lay. "It won't be for another century before the worlds start to become divided."

"Weird," he replied. "I figured it was just always like that, the separate worlds."

Kurama glanced at the silent Kuwabara and knew what controlled his thoughts. It was the same thing that had dominated his thoughts since it happened months ago. Any spare moment was spent agonizing over the same event, the same person. Kurama empathized with him, for he remembered when Kuronue had died.

Yusuke brought Kurama back to himself by asking, "wait, does that mean Youko is out there somewhere?"

He paused before answering. "Somewhere in another part of Japan, yes. Thieving and killing… he is out there doing that and more." He, his soul in another body, was someplace in Japan roaming about. Yet at the same time, he was standing right here.

"If… if there was just some way…"

Kurama's gaze turned to Kuwabara, as did Yusuke's. He looked at neither of them and his eyes were somewhat unfocused as though still lost in his thoughts.

"If we could somehow jump into the future, but just a little earlier than when we left. Maybe we can find someone who can—"

"Kuwabara, that's how you got us into this damn mess in the first place," Yusuke snapped, his voice harsh. Judging by his face, Kurama knew he said it crueler than he had intended, but nevertheless stuck by his statement.

Kuwabara did not respond and the conversation died until Kurama suggested some rest. But instead of heeding his advice, Kuwabara got up and left the room without a sound.

* * *

"Just stay here, Shippo. I'll be right back." 

Kagome let out a relieved sigh as she slid the door closed and with a small, gleeful noise, she hurried toward the spring just outside the village. She had heard some of the villagers talking about it early and she knew right away that she wanted to try out. After spending an entire night and then day walking, not to mention that wild ride Inuyasha took her on, she needed some time to relax. A wonderful bath in a spring would do just that.

It caught her eye as soon as she left the village and another little squeal left her. She hurried over, but froze when she heard a rustling nearby. Her hand reached down and grabbed a fallen branch while she silently wished she had remembered to bring her bow.

The rustling came again and Kagome suddenly leapt forward, swinging the branch before she even got a look at what it was she was swinging at. She heard a startled cry that startled _her_ in turn and she glanced down to see Kazuma crouched on the ground, avoiding her bat-like weapon.

"Ah, sorry!" Kagome told him as she dropped the branch.

She offered him a hand up, which he took. She was about to ask him what he was doing there, but noticed his damp hair. Her lips began to turn upward in a smile and she almost commented about how he had beaten her to her wonderful plan, but the smile and the words died before they began.

There was something different about him. He seemed… off. Different from before. And she didn't like it. There was no happiness in his gaze, no cheerfulness. He seemed tired and worn and… _old_, standing in front of her as he was. Which was weird, because she was pretty sure _she_ was older than _him_.

Standing there without a shirt, Kagome's eyes trailed down him until they reached the mound of scar tissue across his stomach. So much angrier did the scars seem then before.

Her hand unconsciously reached out, but she realized what she was doing and stopped halfway. "I noticed them before when I was treating you… How did you get those scars?"

His hand went immediately to his stomach as though covering them from her view. Hiding the evidence.

"…they're the reason I wanted to go back."

Kagome tried her best to understand. "Because you got hurt?"

"Because she did."

* * *

She waited until Kagome and Shippo were sleeping peacefully, the two cuddled up closely together. Once she was sure they were deeply slumbering, Sango slipped out from under the blanket. 

A movement caught her eye as soon as she did and she knew Kirara had awakened. The cat demon's head came up instantly and glanced questioningly at her companion.

"You can come along, if you're quiet."

Dressed already in her demon slayer clothes, Sango bent down to pick up her sword—just in case. Whether she brought it to use against _him_ if he showed up again or to use against another demon was up for grabs. If she was lucky, she would have no use for it at all.

She tiptoed out of the room with ease, Kirara pacing her silently. Leaned against the closed door for a moment, she took a breath, then opened closed eyes and continued forward. She did not get far before a voice caused her to pause.

"Out for a midnight stroll?"

She did not recognize the voice and so was on guard as she turned around. She only relaxed somewhat when she identified the speaker. Not once had she spoken to him yet, but she knew of him. It was the red-haired boy, Kurama, one of the former missing comrades of Yusuke and Kuwabara.

He sat in front of the door that led to his and his friends' room, watching her with an unfathomable expression. She was almost certain he had no care as to whether she left or not and probably mere curiosity caused him to question her. Of course, she could be completely wrong in that assumption.

A hesitant moment passed and for some reason, she felt odd meeting his gaze so she avoided it. There was something about him. Something… inhuman.

"May I… ask you a question?" A pause, then he nodded his acceptance. "The last of you, the fourth… Hiei. What is he like? Is he dangerous?"

Something unknown slid behind his eyes, but it passed quickly. Kurama watched her thoughtfully. "That is two questions, but I'll answer still. He is a proud demon and a rather short-tempered one at that. He always does what he sees fit." He made a hand gesture, as though partially dismissing what he just said. "I don't entirely understand him and he probably prefers it that way."

Although she had been trying to avoid direct eye contact, he captured her eyes with his startling ones. " He's quite certainly dangerous, if you cross him."

Sango stepped forward and took the seat beside Kurama, who did not seem too taken back by the action. She gave him a sidelong glance as she said, "I met him."

He _did_ look taken back then. "When?"

"Early this morning. I wasn't sure if he was the one you were looking for, but he suddenly appeared in front of me. I've never seen such speed."

Kurama smiled to himself. "Yes, that would be Hiei."

She continued, "he didn't know that I had met you and the rest when he came up to me."

"I'm surprised he would show himself to you," he told her. She could tell his thoughts were moving rapidly in his head as he tried to figure out this new situation. "Which just about proves my suspicions that he is deliberately staying away from us now."

Sango shrugged. "I don't know why."

Why had he been following her? Or had that just been her imagination? It was likely that she was just the first person he saw and he figured he could get answers from her. That was probably all.

"Are you close friends?" Sango wondered, silently remembering how Hiei had said he had none.

"I might not go that far…" Kurama started.

She heard the door behind them slide open and someone cut in, "Don't let his words fool ya. If Hiei would actually admit the truth, Kurama would be first on his list of friends. Or you could just say he's as close to a friend as Hiei will let someone get."

Sango titled her head back to look at Yusuke as he added, "can't sleep."

Through the half-closed door, Sango caught a glimpse of Kuwabara sleeping soundly, though she noticed a troubled expression on his face. He jerked suddenly, twisting his body in one sharp motion, and turned away from the opened door.

When Yusuke noticed her gaze, he slid it all the way closed with a snap. "He's been like that for awhile."

Yusuke leaned against a post near Sango and his eyes were all for the village around them. He did not look like a person who liked what he saw. He muttered something under his breath, but she did not quite catch it. Then his attention was on Sango again.

"I get the feeling he's still around somewhere, but for some reason he's staying away. You can't find three-eyes if he doesn't want you to," Yusuke commented.

He must have overheard their entire conversation, which she did not mind. But what was this about three eyes?

"I'd hate to ask for your assistance when you and your friends are going to so much trouble on our behalf already…"

Sango knew where Kurama was heading with his words and she felt she had to protest. "But he already knows I'm with you. If he won't come to you on his own, he won't show himself to me now."

Kurama shook his head. "Hiei… follows his own rules. I don't always understand them… actually much of the time I don't. However, if he spoke with you in the first place, he might do so again."

Yusuke dropped from the floor of the house to the dirt ground below and stood in front of Sango. He stood close enough that he was violating her personal space, but it was probably out of habit than anything more. With him so close, his presence and power pressed down against her. Had she been a weaker person, she would have found it intimidating.

Hands in his pockets, he locked their eyes. "We don't belong here. _Really_ don't belong. We need to get home and then we'll never bother you again."

She could not take her eyes off him as he asked her this one favor. There was an intensity in his gaze that just warranted attention and she could not deny it. So it was with reluctance that she finally nodded slightly and complied.

Had Kagome known, she would have scolded Sango for going to search when she had not slept for two days. But with her asleep, there was no one to object.

"I'll do a quick search tonight."

Sango knew that there was only a slim chance that he would come to her and that slim chance would become slimmer if anyone was with her. She stood and began to walk around Yusuke when she felt a hand touch her arm. Surprised, her body became stricken.

"Just don't mention Kuwabara's name to Hiei if you meet him—he doesn't like him much," Yusuke told her.

A wry, half-smile tugged at Sango's lips. As she looked at him with such a smile, his hand dropped away. "I've already discovered that."

She left the village with Kirara and went on past a spring, then over a nearby hill until the village was entirely gone from her view. There she sat and waited, gazing up at the stars with Kirara curled up at her side.

"We should be searching for Naraku… but I suppose this is another diversion we can't ignore..."

The night grew late and no one appeared. She was somewhat disappointed, though she knew this was how it would be. And she was growing _so_ tired… It had been two days since she had actually slept… She was drifting off to sleep, consciousness slipping away… but she did not mind. Her body felt heavy, her mind was fuzzy. She heard soft noises beside her, but her head would not move, her eyes would not open. Her surroundings fell away, and…

"It's pathetic that you would wait here."

She responded, though her mouth did not move. "Who said I was waiting? Well, aren't you conceited."

"Hn."

"Is that all you have to say?" No response from him. "You initiated this conversation, not me."

Was she awake? Was she asleep? Or perhaps halfway between the waking and sleeping worlds? She did not know. She did not truly seem to be talking, for her mouth never moved… How was she having this conversation?

He spoke again.

"Why are you searching for me?" Suspicion.

"Why were you following me?" she countered. He did not answer, so she continued, "Your friends are looking for you."

She felt the intense anger in her mind, scolding her for the words she had spoken. "I have nothing to do with them, wench."

"They care about your welfare, but you could care less about them? How loyal."

Alarms ran through her mind and she wasn't sure why. She was choking. Why? She didn't… understand. Something clamped around her… around her neck…

The voice brushed against her mind, darkening whatever it touched. "Don't act like you know me."

"I would never assume to empathize with such a wretched demon."

Dark amused. "Wretched demon? You're the one wasting your time on one."

"What makes you think I'm looking for _you_?"

A tightening on her injured arm. She felt very fuzzy… her mind was slipping. He was doing something to her… and she was going to pass out soon if he did not stop.

"I know you were."

"Don't flatter yourself," she said. "I didn't do it because I have any _personal_ interest in you."

The jolts of panic abruptly cut off, but there was still a sense of something grasping her.

"You think you're clever, don't you."

"Sometimes," was her reply.

Low and threateningly, he spoke. "Hn. Don't get in my way. And don't waste moments of your _precious_ human life looking for me again. Next time, I'll kill you."

She felt his presence leave her, drawing back from her mind and leaving shadows in its wake. Then her consciousness finally slipped away from the waking world and she drifted into a troubled sleep.


	7. Competition

**Redirection**

**Chapter Seven:**

**Competition**

"_Do the men from your time still do this?" —Sango_

* * *

It was the sun that woke her as the beams shone down onto her closed eyes. She did not feel at all rested, but struggled to wake herself anyway. Sitting up, Sango rubbed tired eyes, and then absentmindedly touched one of her hands to her forehead. 

Last night… had she imagined it? She could have sworn she had had a conversation with the demon, Hiei. But no, it was not possible. She had not even seen him, never opened her mouth, and she was pretty sure she had been sleeping. It could not have happened, though she liked the idea that she had better than the alternative—that she had been dreaming about him.

She faintly remember something clamped around her neck in her dream, his hand…

Her hand went tentatively to her neck and she immediately winced. It was bruised. She didn't remember getting such a bruise.

Had he really been there with a hand fastened around her throat? But the conversation that they had… Was it possible?

Sango stood up and stretched her arms above her head, working out kinks in her back that she had earned from sleeping on the cold grass. Next to her, Kirara stood as well, arching her back. Together the two headed back to the village.

When they reached it, Sango was surprised to see that all her companions were awake already and realized it must have been later than she originally thought. Her eyes scanned quickly over all of them until they met Yusuke's gaze briefly. She shook her head slightly, before walking over to join him and Kurama.

"No luck?" Yusuke inquired.

"I didn't see him… or maybe I did." She let out a frustrated breath. "I don't know." She would have continued, but hesitated, which only served to further their confusion.

"What happened?" Kurama asked.

"I remember a faint conversation, but I don't remember talking at all. It seemed more, well… in my mind."

They probably thought she was crazy or having some wild dreams, but it was the truth. Her mind must have been playing tricks on her. Although, that did not explain the bruise on her neck.

"It's entirely possible that it happened. Hiei has the ability to enter the minds of others."

Sango looked at Kurama with wonder when he spoke. So, she was not insane. Perhaps it had occurred. She could not remember exactly what they had talked about last night, but she did remember some things. Irritation. Violence. Hate. And he wanted nothing to do with his once comrades.

"He wasn't too thrilled to see or talk to me though." She left it at that.

"Thanks for tryin'," Yusuke told her. There was sincerity in his voice too.

"It was no trouble."

* * *

Kagome smiled to herself as she discreetly watched Miroku. She felt not like a predator, but more like a mother finding her child's hand in the cookie jar. Yes, that was how she felt as she watched a stone-faced Miroku observe Sango from some distance away. The demon exterminator was talking with two of the newcomers, Kurama and Yusuke, and although her face was troubled when she first began conversing with them, it changed completely as she smiled when Yusuke made some remark; sarcastic, no doubt. 

Kagome approached the monk from behind, coming up to him with a grin. "Aha, as I thought! You're jealous!"

She jabbed him in the back with her pointer to emphasize her words before jumping in front of him, but not so much that she was blocking his view of the object of his attention. He, however, did not look at all jealous; she was only guessing as to what was going through his mind.

Miroku's rather bland response deflated her considerably. "There is nothing to be jealous about. They're just talking."

Puzzlingly, his words seemed true, which made Kagome frown. "But—"

"There is nothing between Sango and me," he reminded her.

She pouted stubbornly, determined to win this argument. "There was before." Unconsciously, her hands locked together behind her back in an unsure gesture.

A sigh escaped him. Miroku finally took his gaze off Sango and the others to look down at the miko standing before him. "We tried, remember?"

He was being serious, which unnerved her. Nevertheless, she pressed on. "Yeah, but still…"

It was Sango and Miroku. Weren't they meant to be together? They had always played their game of cat and mouse, but was it finally over? Kagome did not want to believe it. Maybe it was her only choice.

She did not know how to finish her sentence so sullenly kept quiet. Miroku used the rather uncharacteristic silence to take his leave and walked over to join Inuyasha. Kagome watched him go, feeling rather troubled, but was soon distracted.

"What's wrong with Miroku?"

Kagome spun around quickly. "Sango!" she exclaimed with surprise. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" Whew, that surprised her! She had not even seen her leave the guys.

Kagome gave a quick glance to where Miroku was before giving Sango a confident smile and responding, "oh, nothing, nothing." Needing to get off the topic, she gestured to Kurama and Yusuke and asked, "What was that about?" She had to admit, she was curious and possibly a little jealous at how famously her friend was getting with the newcomers.

The demon slayer shrugged. "Just doing a favor."

"Ah, what a vague response! Unfairness!" Kagome protested playfully.

She smiled when it earned her a laugh from Sango, though deep down she only felt her curiosity flare more at the elusive response. Kagome put it to the back of her mind, however, as her eyes caught sight of the third newcomer. She turned her head to look at him properly. She did not know what to expect, but she at least thought Kuwabara might have some of the solemn attitude from the night before still hanging over him. He, however, seemed much happier and not a trace of sadness was left. For the first time, she looked at his happy attitude and wondered if it was just a mask to fool them.

* * *

When Inuyasha declared that they were leaving, no one protested, though Kagome and Sango exchanged a look. Then Kagome shrugged and followed the intemperate hanyou and the others gathered themselves and followed at their leisure. 

Kagome had fallen in step next to Sango with Miroku on her other side as they walked, all the while Kagome kept on the lookout for shards. She sensed nothing nearby for a long while, but Inuyasha did.

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles and insisted that he would take care of it. Kagome sighed and muttered "men" under her breath, while Sango stopped, looking faintly put off. Yusuke merely crossed his arms and _urged_ Inuyasha to continue as the delinquent gestured toward the large demon a few yards away.

"Heh," Inuyasha said with a smirk.

He drew his sword, which transformed in his hands to its much larger size. He easily dodged as the demon tried to grab him, then jumped onto the demon's extended arm and ran up onto its shoulder and sliced at its face, breaking the skin on the demon's cheek.

He jumped back down and avoided a few more attempted attacks as he continued to brawl with the demon a bit. He attacked here and there, slashing the demon and making it bleed in certain places—mainly for show, Kagome realized a little into the fight.

When he felt he had shown off enough, Inuyasha finished with his grand finale, using his Wind Scar against the demon. The demon was obliterated after the single attack, though the blast sent chunks of flesh flew in every direction, including where the group was.

Miroku stepped forward, his left hand going to the beads on his arm. "I guess this is where I show off my talents."

He undid the tangle of beads in a manner of seconds and directed his hand with its void center toward the pieces of flesh that were about to descend on them. Wind swirled out from his hand and trapped all the pieces, sucking them into the nothingness the hole in his right hand lead to.

Inuyasha put his sword away. "Tch, that was easy," he boasted as he brushed past Yusuke. It was a showing off of strength… but also a warning. It was a subtle and unsaid, "hey, I don't trust you, so if you ever betray us, that's what you'll be on the receiving end."

Yusuke's hand clenched into a fist. "_I'll_ handle the next one."

* * *

"…And _that's_ how it's done." 

Yusuke interlocked his fingers and stretched, letting out a sound of satisfaction. He threw Inuyasha a smug look. In return, Inuyasha gave him a piercing look, his jaw locking into a frown.

"Yeah, 'cause when the demon doesn't even know you're there, it's _real_ hard to kill it," Inuyasha responded, partially through gritted teeth.

"I didn't see that second demon with those four arms lookin' at you when you just tore it to pieces with that wind wound of yours."

"Wind _scar_," he growled back.

Yusuke threw up his arms. "Whatever!"

Kagome let out an exasperated sound that neither boy heard since she was quite a distance behind them. "They might as well just whip them out now and see whose is bigger," Kagome muttered mostly to herself, although Sango, who was walking beside her, overheard.

"What?" she asked.

"Er, nothing," Kagome replied quickly. "Just a comment about the competitiveness of guys."

"Do the men from your time still do this?"

Kagome shook her head and sighed quite dramatically. "Unfortunately. It is sadly a cycle that will never be broken."

Hearing a quiet laugh behind her, Kagome turned around, though continued walking. Her gaze fell upon Kurama.

"What's so funny?" she asked him.

He offered her a smile. "I'm sorry. Just relishing the truth of your words."

She put a hand on Sango's arm to steady herself as she walked backward. She titled her head slightly to one side as she wondered if he was poking fun of her in any way. He didn't seem to be. "What about you? You didn't join in the 'games'."

Inuyasha with some help from Miroku were trading off with Yusuke and Kuwabara to fight the demons that attacked the group. Kagome and Sango watched the events unfold with mild amusement and some exasperation. Kurama, however, unlike all the other men, did not take part in the obvious male competition.

"They were more than capable of handling it on their own," Kurama replied.

"Or you're just more secure in your abilities," Sango called back to him. She glanced sidelong at Miroku. "It's not looking good for you."

An arm slinked its way around her shoulder. "My dear Sango, I can assure you that I am _very_ confident in my abilities." He moved in front of her and stopped, forcing her to cease walking as well. His arms wrapped around her, pressing his body against hers. His voice was low as he inquired, "Is a demonstration in order?"

Sango managed to get one hand free of him in order to slap him. "Pervert," she muttered before storming away.

Yusuke, who had stopped to watch the exchange, mentioned to her only half-jokingly, "I could always hit 'im with a blast, free of charge." Sango crossed her arms with a wry smile, telling him thanks, but she can take care of it.

"Miroku, you never learn."

Miroku smiled at Kagome for the comment. His actions with Sango were normal, the same as he would do to any girl who had made such a comment to him.

Maybe it was true. Maybe his feelings for Sango were really gone. Maybe they were never really there. But Kagome did not believe any of that.

And what were Sango's true feelings? Kagome had no idea what was going on between her two friends. She guessed that was a sign that she should let it unfold on its own, if it ever did, and in the meantime stay out of it…

Yeah, like _that_ would happen.

"Lost in thought?"

The voice came and startled her into attention. Kagome lingered back so that she could fall in step with the speaker.

"Well, I was," she told Kurama. Then teased, "but you've saved me from dire bewilderment. How can I ever thank you?"

"Years of servitude," he answered gravely.

She felt slightly startled at his reply. She did not think he would be the type to play along with her silly antics. Heartened, Kagome responded with indignation, "That's a little severe!" She turned around in a huff, but glanced over her shoulder a moment later. "…I draw the line at one year, max."

Laughter escaped him. "You are quite a character, Kagome."

She spun back around and grinned at him while giving him a playfully poke in the arm. "And I shall take that as a compliment."

* * *

"Woo hoo, no more walking!" 

The kitsune bound into the village happily, going straight for Kaede's hut. With daylight almost gone, Yusuke was somewhat relieved to be back in the village, though it gave him little comfort. What he really wanted to do was go _home_.

"Walking?" Yusuke muttered. "What walking did _he_ do? He gets a free ride, sitting on other people's shoulders."

They went into the old woman's home, though it seemed she still was not back yet. Kagome had mentioned before that she was helping with some epidemic that was spreading through some villages to the North. All that meant to Yusuke was that he could freeload at her house for a couple of days and he was fine with that.

Kagome shrugged off her bag, rolling her shoulders back to work out the knots the heavy backpack had caused her back to twist into. In a gentler gesture, she laid the bow next to it and then turned her attention to Yusuke and his companions.

"There's something I want to show you three," she told them. Inuyasha growled out a no, but Kagome only met his gaze squarely. "They'll have to know eventually, why not now?"

He did not back down. "I don't like this."

They moved closer together, quietly arguing in a conversation Yusuke could not hear. Inuyasha gestured with his hands, while Kagome clenched her fists and stood on the tip of her toes as to get her face as close as possible to his. Finally, he barked out, "fine!" Then he spun around and stormed out of the hut, knowing Kagome would not change her mind.

Kagome slapped her palm against her forehead, then dropped the hand and turned toward them. She gave a noncommittal shrug before gesturing toward the outside. After exchanging a few looks, they followed her out.

Sango was waiting outside the house, leaning against one of the walls. She glanced up at them as they walked by. "I'm coming along too."

"What about Miroku?" Kagome questioned.

She turned her head and Yusuke and the others followed her gaze. He could have staggered at what he saw. Miroku stood with three pretty young girls around him and he seemed to be flirting with all of them at once, judging by the way they giggled and swayed their bodies ever so much. And this guy was a monk?

Yusuke noticed that Sango's words were tight as she answered. "…He's otherwise preoccupied."

From ahead, Shippo waved the group over, calling to them to hurry up. He then sprung forward, leading the way into a forest. Kurama threw Kagome an inquiring look.

Kagome smiled and made shooing motions with her hands. "Go ahead, follow."

While wondering why he was doing this, but having no other choice really, Yusuke followed both kitsunes as they entered the forest. Kagome stayed close to Kurama as they walked, while Kuwabara walked by Yusuke's side with Sango a few feet away from them both. Yusuke's eyes skimmed the area in search of threats, but neither saw nor sensed any.

They continued past the trees and stopped when they reached a clearing, but only because the small kitsune had halted. All Yusuke saw that could be mildly interested was an old well in its center, but could not figure out any reason why they would stop here.

Kagome continued forward toward it, but Yusuke refused to move. "What's so special 'bout a well?" he asked.

She paused momentarily. Glancing over her shoulder at him, she pointed at the structure. "That," she said, "is your ticket home."

He must have had a skeptical look on his face and the way he crossed his arms did nothing to help or show any support of the ludicrous theory.

Her hands went to her hips when she saw his face, her lips turning down in a frown. "It's a portal. If you guys can get through, you'll be able to pass back and forth whenever you'd like."

Yusuke could tell Kuwabara was anxious after she spoke, but Yusuke was still doubtful. 'If', she had said. That did not seem too promising. Yusuke glanced at Kurama to see what he thought about it all, but his thoughts were as unknown as always.

Feeling eyes upon him, Kurama focused on Yusuke. "I suggested you and Kuwabara go back, if you wish."

It was obvious Kuwabara was eager to go back, but seemed the slight bit hesitant all the same. Kurama prodded him further. "There's no need for you to stay. I'll take care of Hiei."

Yusuke wanted nothing more than to go back. He did not enjoy it in the past at all since he had always been a city boy. All this open space was just not his style. He knew Kuwabara wanted to go back too, for his mind was still set on her while he was determined to find another way.

"Alright," said Kuwabara with a nod. He walked with Kagome the rest of the way to the well.

Yusuke trotted the rest of the way to catch up. "Let's get the hell outta here!"

"Then follow me," Kagome said.

She took the last few steps at a run and vaulted herself over the edge of the well. Kuwabara and Yusuke went quickly to the side to see her as she fell several feet. She was crazy. At the speed she was going she would no doubt break something when she landed and…

A pinkish light engulfed her abruptly, obscuring her figure from them. It covered her as it blinded the two and by the time it disappeared, Kagome was no where in sight.

"Guess she wasn't lying," muttered Yusuke as he heard a soft "whoa" beside him.

With a shrug and a thought of "here goes nothing", Yusuke tossed himself into the well. He freely fell for a few moments, but he suddenly knew when he was halfway down that there was no way he was going to do what Kagome had just done. He had seconds to react, but moved just enough so that he landed on his feet. Now, if only he had remembered Kuwabara sooner…

By the time Yusuke glanced up it was too late to move, though it did not matter; he had no where to go. His friend fell flat on top of Yusuke, sending them both into a tangled heap on the ground. He grunted as Kuwabara's weight crushed him and shifted as he tried to throw Kuwabara off. It was a struggle, but they managed to untangle themselves and rise to their feet.

Tilting his head upward, he saw Kurama and Sango both gripping the edge of the well, gazing down at the two. Mumbling curses, Yusuke used the vines growing up the side to start his climb up, though not before giving Kuwabara a kick in retaliation, which almost caused the orange-haired boy to fall the first few feet he had begun climbing.

When he reached the top, he had no choice but to accept her help as Sango grasped his arm and helped him over the side. Kurama did the same for Kuwabara.

"It didn't work," Shippo commented. His voice sounded disappointed, but not surprised.

"What happened? Why can't we get through?" Yusuke asked with irritation.

"The well only works for Kagome and Inuyasha," Sango explained.

Shippo nodded in agreement. "I've tried to get through before, but it didn't work. Only certain people can go through."

Yusuke's eyebrow twitched with annoyance. "And you couldn't tell us that _before_?"

"So we really are stuck here." Kuwabara ran a hand through his hair, his face troubled.

Yusuke hated it when Kuwabara got depressed and started receding into his darker thoughts. He gritted his teeth as he turned to Kurama and asked him to try going through the portal. That at least might stop Kuwabara's solemn contemplations.

However, when Kurama tried not too long after, nothing happened. None of them could pass through. How the hell were they going to get home now?

A stressed silence stretched between them until they heard the struggling noises of Kagome as she scrambled up the well. Both Kurama and Sango grabbed each of her arms to help her over the top, to which she gave a heartfelt thanks.

She sighed as she plopped down on the edge of the well. "I was afraid of this."

Her hand went to her throat and she absentmindedly began playing with her necklace as she stared down at the grass. Then, as her finger twisted around the chain, she slapped herself on the head.

"Oh! Duh!" she exclaimed. "I forgot. You'll probably need one of these."

She was holding her necklace as she said it, which had some kind of fragmented, jagged jewel. Her hand reached into her pocket and fished out a small pink shard that matched the color of the jewelry. She handed the piece to Kuwabara, then undid the clasp on her necklace and handed it to Kurama.

Shippo reached out his little hand as though to grab the jewel when she handed it Kurama. His tail twitched nervously. "I don't think Inuyasha will like this… And I hope he doesn't take it out on me…"

Kuwabara tried, but came up unsuccessful. He then handed his small fragment to Yusuke as Kurama tried the portal. In the end, both Kurama and Yusuke had the same results as before. Yusuke felt disheartened and somewhat annoyed as he handed back the shard to Kagome.

Kagome strung the necklace back around her neck while apologizing to them. "I'm sorry…"

Yusuke's jaw locked as he saw Kagome avoid their gaze as a dejected look came upon her. Even if she did not know them well, she had really wanted to help them, hadn't she? Why she would go to all that trouble for people she did not know, he didn't understand. Sure, he had done such things before, but it was usually because it was his job as Koenma's Spirit Detective. She was doing this all on her very own.

"Don't worry."

Kagome, startled, looked up at Yusuke, who stood with his hands in his pockets.

"We've faced worse odds before."

She smiled tentatively at him and gave a slight nod, but not like she believed it. Kagome then told the others they might as well go back to Kaede's home for the night. It was getting late anyway and they could continue searching for their friend in the morning. Then they would worry about finding them a way home.

Scattered as the six of them were, they all began the walk back. Sango walked swiftly and passed Yusuke, but not before murmuring something to him as she went by.

"Thanks."

Thanks? For what? He thought he might have an inkling of an idea, however, when Sango stopped her fast stride and walked side by side with Kagome, comforting her friend with her presence. But what she showed gratitude to him for, he thought it warranted no thanks.

* * *

Something felt odd. 

Kagome was not sure what. She only knew that something was off. Not dreadfully so, but still enough for stress to plague her and remove her from her sleep. Trying to get comfortable, her hand fell across her chest as she shifted onto her side.

And then there it was. Panic.

She sat up quickly, her hand going to her throat. Inuyasha was going to kill her. Literally _kill_ her, in the sense of chopping her up into little pieces and sprinkling them on the lawn, dead. Why he would want to sprinkle her remains over a lawn, she did not know, but she was sure he would be tempted to when he found out.

Okay, it was a major exaggeration and he would never hurt her, but she knew he would _not_ be pleased.

She had lost them. She had lost the shards.

How had this happened? She had had them all day! The only time they had left her was when she lent them to Kurama and the others. They had given them back, she remembered.

Kagome quickly checked her pocket, but found that the small, individual shard was still there. So it was not a thief, for why take one and not the other? The jewel must have slipped off her neck while she was walking. She had to go find it before Inuyasha found out! After the way they argued today, he would never forgive her!

She stood up in one swift movement, letting the blanket pool at her feet and completely cover Shippo. She winced as the sheet fell over the kitsune, but he did not so much as twitch. She gave an inward sigh of relief and began tiptoeing over and around the others in the room and was just about to leave when she realized something. One of them was missing.

Not counting Inuyasha who was asleep on the roof since he refused to sleep under the same roof as the newcomers, there was someone else gone. She grabbed her bow and quiver and slipped outside, before making a run for it into the woods. She knew where he was, even without sensing the shards.

She reached the clearing and slowed to a stop, taking a moment to catch her breath. She had gained some scratches from a few branches, but nothing as bad as what Inuyasha had done when he just _had_ to outrun Kurama.

When she saw nothing, she frowned. Where could he be? She could have sworn he would be here, plus she felt the shards…

A silhouette caught her attention and her gaze focused on the well. Climbing over the side, she saw someone clamber out, only to fall back in again. The process was repeated only minutes later.

Kazuma.

Kagome rushed forward, dropping her bow and arrows to the ground as she ran. As she sprinted, she saw him jump into the well once again, though his movements seemed sluggish. How long had he been jumping in and out? Wasn't he tired?

She reached the side and grasped the wood tightly as Kazuma climbed up the side. As he reached the top, she grabbed onto him and forced him over onto the grass.

"Stop it!"

Her voice sounded shrill as she said it, though she did not mean it to be. She was frightened. Frightened for him. Why was he putting himself through this torment?

He slumped out of her grasps and onto the grass, leaning his back against the well. Holding his head in his hands, his fingers tightly gripping his locks, he did not look at her.

He looked so very tired to her. His masked had slipped away just as it had the previous night and he was raw, hurting, and very human as he sat in front of her.

"I have to get to my time. Then I can think of some other way… only go back a little this time…"

"Stop," she told him. This time her voice was gentle, soothing. She placed her hands on top of his. "You're talking crazy again. This way doesn't work for you…"

Again, like before, she felt like she had failed them somehow. She had had a way for them to get home, but it proved useless to them. How could she help them when they wanted to go home to their own time and she had no other way to show them?

"…but we'll find another way."

Was that a promise she could keep? She hoped so.

When she spoke, he slowly looked up at her. He was searching her for… understanding? "I just… wanted to get her back…"

What did he mean? Who…? Could it have been the same one he mentioned before? She had previously asked him the reason and if it was because he had gotten hurt, but he did not answer that question. He answered another.

"_Because she did."_

"Kazuma…" Kagome spoke softly. Her voice was full of worry and confusion over things she just did not understand.

He winced when she said his name, as though she had struck him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned, but he only shook his head and did not respond. Instead, he held out a closed fist and opened it, revealing the Shikon no Tama.

"Sorry for taking it."

She offered him a kind smile. "No problem. No harm done, right?"

She took his hand with the jewel it in and pulled him to his feet as she took it, then slipped it into her pocket.

"I was just worried that you might attract some demons while holding that thing. That would be trouble!"

She laughed a bit, but the laughter immediately died as a low, threatening growl came from behind her. They both turned around.

"Aw, man…"


	8. Wanted

**Redirection**

**Chapter Eight:**

**Wanted**

"_Am I glad to see you!" —Kazuma Kuwabara _

* * *

"Aw, man…" 

The fact that the demon was visible even before it left the forest was not a good sign; it was _huge_. But that was all Kuwabara could notice before he was unexpectedly jerked the opposite way.

"Time to go," he heard Kagome muttered as she tugged at his hand. She quickly found herself halted as the orange-haired teen dug his heels into the ground and faced the monster. Glancing at his face, she noticed that while his carefully placed mask had not returned just yet, another emotion had replaced some of his hopelessness: determination.

"Oh, no," she said with a hard edge. With her hand still tugging his, she gripped his wrist with her other hand as well, trying to pull him away. "You can't take that thing alone!"

A sudden jolt of power and she was instantly dropping his hand with a squeak. In place of her hand, his sword was clutched tightly in his grip. He felt a twinge of regret as he saw her wipe her palms against her skirt with a wince; he had not realized materializing his weapon would harm her.

His heartbeat began drumming in his ears as a large shadow was cast over both of them, moving Kuwabara's focus back to the problem at hand. Adrenaline pumped through his body as the demon drew closer and he noticed the limb tense and pullback far before Kagome did.

"Run, Kagome!"

Kuwabara gave her a push to one side as he jumped to the other, both narrowly missing getting hit by the fist as large as it was as it beat into the ground. Kuwabara rolled to the side without grace and threw himself backward as a second limb, one with a pincher instead of digits, tried to skewer him.

"I can't le—"

He heard the beginning of her protest, though it was abruptly cut off as she flattened herself on the ground to avoid another one of the demon's appendages. It had four in all; two normal arms placed where they should be, while slightly lower down there were two limbs with pincher attached.

As he attempted to spare her a look, one of the claws whacked him in the side and he fell to his hands and knees. "Do it anyway!" he yelled to her.

Not daring to glance at her again, he hoped she would take his advice. She was defenseless and in no way prepared for the fight with the massive demon. The least she could do was distract the demon while she got away, even if it meant him getting crushed. He would not tolerate her being hurt or killed. Not on his watch. Not when it was his fault she had left the safety of the village in the first place.

He planted himself firmly on the ground before he raised his eyes and glared into the demon's face. No one would be hurt on his account, not again. The thought of something otherwise happening made his body shake, and not with sorrow. Then before he knew it, he was sprinting toward the demon as someone let out a cry—himself, he realized with surprise.

He leapt up and raised the sword above his head, intending to strike downward. His sword came down on the demon's shoulder, splitting open the shell-like skin before the demon raised a hand and tossed him aside.

His back slammed against the ground with an audible sound and he lay stunned for a fraction of a second too long. One of the hands grabbed him and tossed him lazily into the air as though he were nothing but a rag doll. He braced himself for the second fall that did not come as one of the pincher shot forward and grabbed his leg, stopping his head from slamming into the earth by mere inches.

Kuwabara let out a yelp as the demon hung him upside down, swinging his body back and forth. He flailed about aimlessly and struck blindly with his sword, but the more he moved, the firmer the claw became. Tighter and tighter it squeezed until he was sure his leg would come off completely… yet that did not concern him as much as the two large fists that were about to impact both sides of his body and flatten him to a pulp.

Something bright sped by his head and he watched in dull amazement as the object hit the demon dead center. It roared in response and dropped Kuwabara, who fell with an "oomph" onto his back.

Although significantly curious about the demon's state, Kuwabara wasted no time in getting to his feet. He turned away from the demon only to be greeted by a most unusual sight.

Deliberately disobeying his request, Kagome stood some distance away with a bow in her hand, the string still vibrating from the arrow that just left it. The blatant determination in her face and the deep concentration that was reflected there immediately disappeared in the blink of an eye and instead her brows were knitted together as she glanced at Kuwabara with concern.

She hurried forward and dropped to her knees beside Kuwabara. "Can you walk?"

He nodded before glancing back at the demon with amazement. "What did you do?"

Somehow, not only was the arrow emitting a strange pink glow, but it was hovering in midair as it pressed against the demon's skin. The light surrounded half the demon as it seemed to struggle against the sacred weapon of the miko. They were battling forces, but it did not seem the arrow would last much longer.

"Come on, we've gotta go," she told him as she helped him up. "That won't hold it for long. This demon is too powerful for just us!"

She put his non-sword arm over her shoulder as she helped the limping boy walk quickly. However, when Kuwabara halted it brought her to a stop as well; he was too strong for her to move on just her strength alone.

They would not get far before the demon was after them again; so what was the point in running? He wanted to go back and fight and he knew Kagome knew of his thoughts by the way her grip tightened on the arm she held.

"Weren't you just talking about getting someone back?" Kagome asked heatedly. It made him pause. "You can never get her if you're dead!"

He removed his arm from her grip and turned slowly around. When she saw him do this, unable to stop him, the only thing she could do was call out his name in annoyance and desperation. "Kazuma!"

He froze.

His hands turned into fists at his sides and for a tense moment, she did not know what he would do. Then his sword disappeared from his hand.

He closed his eyes. "Don't," he whispered so softly she did not even hear him speak.

He did not want to hear her call him that. So very few people did, but her voice… the kindness in it…

His nails bit into his palm, then without a word he spun around and grabbed Kagome by the wrist, startling her. He pulled her along as he ran even with his severe limp until she got over her initial surprise and ran alongside him.

The forest was their best bet and so they disappeared into it. They ran carelessly, branches scratching at their skin and clothes; twigs, rocks, and roots attempting to trip them.

A certain tree caught Kagome's eye and she pulled Kuwabara toward it. They crawled into a small nook at the base of it where Kagome thought it might be safe from the demon's notice. Though Kuwabara did not approve of hiding, he had to agree that the demon was too much for them.

A few tense minutes passed. The two were so closely jammed in their hiding spot that Kuwabara did not know if it was Kagome's or his heart beating so quickly. Maybe it was both. They laid low and listened to the silence, while waiting for sound. A rumbling was suddenly heard as the ground shook around them in thundering footsteps. He heard Kagome take a sharp breath and hold it as her grasp on his arm tightened. Then abruptly the rumbling stopped.

Silence once more.

"I think it's—"

Kagome words turned into a small scream as the tree above them was suddenly uprooted. The roots tore from the earth with a groan and Kagome and Kuwabara went up with them. Kagome slipped between them, however, and fell to the ground with Kuwabara not too far behind. They scrambled off the grass as the demon chucked the tree carelessly away. Kuwabara ran toward the demon while Kagome took a few steps back.

They had tried it her way by running. Now, they would try it his.

His sword materialized in his hand and he gave it a practice swing. He smirked at the demon as he flexed his other hand and another spirit sword appeared in it. Sure, it was not as long as the other and it took a lot of energy to summon it and keep it there, but it would be worth it if it made a difference against the demon.

He attacked the legs, for that was all he could reach, while avoiding the four arms as they swung at him. Kagome strung another arrow and took aim at the demon's face. Her arms stiffened and her muscles became taut in anticipation of the arrow's release. Just as her hands were going to let it loose, however, her fingers fumbled as a shadow passed over her.

Inuyasha landed in front of her, sword in hand. He sprinted toward the demon and leapt up at the last second, hacking off one of its regular arms as Kuwabara kept the demon's attention on the ground and off the silver-haired demon.

"Am I glad to see you!" Kuwabara told him.

The distraction gone, she raised her weapon once more with confidence, only to realize too late that one of its arms was headed her way. It slammed into her side and knocked her into the air and she distantly was aware of a small weight leaving her.

She readied herself for a hard impact, but someone caught her, softening the blow as they both tumbled to the grass. A blanket of red covered her face and she pushed it away, only to find herself peering into Kurama's face from not too far away. Before she even had time to register appreciation or embarrassment, he stood and assisted her as she got to her feet as well.

The sound of a collision caught her attention and she turned just in time to see Inuyasha slam full bodily into a tree. Her first instinct was to go to him to make sure he was okay; the thought completely left her as she noticed a familiar sparkle on the grass.

The jewel… it had fallen from her pocket when she had been tossed aside. She darted toward the two pieces, but as she started for them, the demon did as well. Despite her best efforts as she dived toward them, the demon gathered them first and consumed the shards.

The demon released a mighty roar as its skin turned a hellish red and its severed arm jumped to reattach itself. Inuyasha let out a string of curses while Kuwabara traded his two swords for one longer one that he held firmly in both hands. Kurama transformed his rose and stepped forward to join the fight.

Kurama's whip wrapped around a pincher, preventing it from attacking Kuwabara, and Kuwabara himself attacked one of the upper arms, lopping off a few of its fingers. Inuyasha jumped over one arm and under another to slice off the other claw and dragged the sword's blade halfway up his arms before jumping backward to avoid gaping teeth.

The detached pieces shuddered on the ground before leaping up and returning to the demon.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha barked.

"Got it!" She strung her arrow for the third time. "Alright, no more distractions. This time, it's gonna work."

She felt the power built up inside her, readying itself. She slowly closed her eyes as her senses found the target. Her strength was focused on the bow, streaming from her body to course into the arrow. Her arms became tense as her powers came to a height; she could no longer contain them.

_Now!_

Kagome's eyes shot open just as the arrow left her fingers. She watched as it sped toward the demon, true to its target. It saw it coming and held up a hand to block it, but the arrow made a neat hole right through it and went straight into the demon's center. It met some resistance, but the arrow pushed its way through and created a gaping hole in its stomach. The arrow came out the other side and parts of the demon spilled out the back, including the jewel.

The demon slumped and began to turn around to try and grab the jewel again, but Kurama's whip coiled around one of the upper arms. He pulled and forced the demon to turn away while nearly severing the arm off as the thorns bit down into flesh. Kuwabara hacked at its legs to distract it as Inuyasha leapt up and sliced off the demon's head for good. The head tumbled to the ground and the rest of the demon did not take long to follow.

Kagome quickly darted around the body and gathered up the black jewel, purifying it with a touch. The lone shard had come together to make a fragmented whole with the bigger piece, which she strung on a cord and hung around her neck.

"What the hell did you think you were doing, Kagome?"

Kagome let out a breath and shook her head very slightly so Inuyasha could not see before spinning around to face the hanyou. "So nice to see you too, Inuyasha. Thanks for the help."

Kuwabara opened his mouth to no doubt tell Inuyasha it was his fault, but Kagome answered quicker. "My fault. I was trying to sneak home since I have this math test coming up soon and I knew you wouldn't let me go, but then Kuwabara followed me because he was worried I'd get in trouble and then that demon showed up and—" She was rambling, wasn't she? At least it seemed to be working. "Well, you know the rest."

Inuyasha did not look like he believed her story in its entirety, but seemed satisfied nonetheless. Kagome offered Kuwabara a small smile as he mouthed the words, "thank you." She did not want him to get in trouble if she could help it. Besides, Inuyasha would have kicked his ass if he found out that Kuwabara had stolen the jewel from her. She thought Kuwabara realized that too, hence the thanks.

"How'd you guys find us?" Kagome asked since a change of subject was needed. That, and she was curious.

"I awoke when you left," Kurama explained. "But I didn't realize where you were headed. I came when I heard the scream however, as did Inuyasha."

If he woke up as she was leaving… then he knew all of what she had said was a lie. How could Kuwabara have followed her when he was gone before her?

The redhead must have noticed her wide eyes because a small smile graced his lips. His eyes (with what she thought was a slightly teasing glint) showed a clear message: _Your secret's safe with me_. She smiled back warmly in response.

Inuyasha let out an annoyed sound before muttering something about going back. He gave Kagome a look that was not too pleasant—he clearly upset with her for leaving the village by herself with the jewel no less—before he went ahead, leaving the three behind. Kagome's hands went to her hips, her smile turning into a frown at Inuyasha's rudeness.

"Your archery skills are excellent, Kagome."

She snapped instantly out of the short-lived bad mood Inuyasha had somehow managed put her in and turned to Kurama. A pinkish hue settled on her cheeks because of the compliment.

"T-that? It was nothing. The demon made it easier for me after consuming the jewel. My powers and the jewel kinda call to each other, so the arrow could easily meet its mark. Otherwise, I'm not that good."

Kuwabara gave her arm a little nudge. "Not true. You did good with the demon before he had the shards too."

She smiled tiredly, but brightly nonetheless. "Thanks."

Kagome stumbled as she began walking and each boy grabbed an arm to steady her. "…But I think I'm sleep deprived right now and just used up all my energy. I say we should head back and get at least some more sleep before the sun decides to show itself."

A glance at the sky and she knew that it would not be too long before the sun rose. Oh, well. She could get a few more hours sleep, but she guessed the bulk of her sleeping would just have to come at another time.

* * *

Sango watched with some amusement as Yusuke peered down into the well, still skeptical of its power even though he had seen Kagome use it. He was searching for some trick to it, no doubt. Searching for some reason why it worked for her, and not him. 

A small, amused sound left Sango and she shook her head before turning her attention elsewhere. Kagome shifted the bag she wore on her back as she called to Yusuke to grab his attention once more. He stared at her blankly for a moment before remembering and scribbled something down on a piece of paper she had previously given him.

"Here. Her name's Keiko Yukimura," Yusuke informed the miko. He handed her the slip of paper. "That's her address and everything."

"Sorry to burden you with our problems," Kurama told Kagome.

Sango noticed with acute interest how Kagome smiled at Kurama after he spoke. Something seemed different about that smile. Was she developing a crush?

"It's no trouble at all, really," assured Kagome. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I haven't been to school in awhile so I'm really behind in my studies. I really should go back anyway."

Kuwabara made a face when she mentioned school. "At least you go, unlike _some_ people." He jerked his thumb at Yusuke, though the boy did not see it. Kagome laughed.

Yusuke threw him an ungrateful look, knowing that Kuwabara was referring to him, and then continued, "Just when you see her, tell her that you need her to bring you to Botan. Tell Botan everything that's happened. She'll be able to get the toddler to do—I don't know—_something_ at least."

"Keiko, bring you to Botan." She nodded and gave Yusuke a two-fingered salute with the hand that gripped the paper. "Aye, captain."

Kurama smiled at her antics. "Thank you." His words were sincere.

"Yeah, thanks," Kuwabara added.

She playful nudged both of them. "Hey, don't sound so glum. I'll be back soon guys. With some news." The unsaid words of _with any luck_ hung in the air.

Having no more to say, she jumped up onto the edge of the well. A hand shot out and steadied her when the weight of her backpack caused her to wobble a bit. She smiled down at Kurama while she felt her cheeks warm slightly. Amber eyes sharpened on the two from a distance.

When she knew she had regained her balance, she lifted her hand away from Kurama's and dropped into the well. In a matter of moments, she was engulfed by a light and disappeared.

A flash from the corner of her eye caught Sango's attention and she knew it was Inuyasha leaving. He had watched grudgingly away from the rest and now that Kagome was gone, he had no further interest in the strangers.

Shippo, it seemed, noticed as well. He gave a pitiful sigh. "He'll sulk until Kagome is back and then they can hunt for more shards."

The comment made Yusuke laugh. "I think I like this little brat."

He tousled the young kitsune's hair in a friendly manner. Shippo swatted his hand away as he pouted. "Who you calling little?"

"What will you three do in the meantime?" Miroku inquired, looking at Kurama as he asked.

Yusuke answered instead as he shrugged. "Guess we gotta continue looking for Hiei."

"It'll probably be better if I don't come with you then," Kuwabara commented. "I'll just wait in the village."

Sango's gaze turned toward Kuwabara. She had already come to the conclusion that Hiei did not like him from the demon's reaction the first time they met. What both had failed to inform her was why exactly that was. But, then again, it was none of her business. Why should she even bother to care?

But she did care. Or rather, she was interested by their whole group and the relations between them.

"I'll help you," Sango told Kurama and Yusuke. "I usually do a little demon chasing whenever Kagome goes back anyway. Kirara and I might as well help you then."

"Not me!" Shippo exclaimed. "I'll just _have_ to stay back… and keep Kuwabara company, of course! And save him from Inuyasha's wrath in case the dog-boy gets agitated."

"Miroku?" Sango inquired.

He smiled an undecipherable smile. "I'd rather stay behind."

"Alright, so it's just us three," Sango said, though amended it by saying, "four," as Kirara rubbed against her leg and meowed.

"We'll be back in a few days to see Kagome," Kurama told Kuwabara and the rest.

Sango gripped the strap of her hiraikotsu as she said a temporary farewell to the ones staying behind. Kurama nodded to them while Yusuke gave a halfhearted wave as he turned away.

When they were far enough away, Sango commented to the two, "…you do realize there is a very slim chance we will actually find him."

She received no response, but none was needed. They already knew, but what else did they have to do?

* * *

It surprised none of them when the end of the day came and no progress was made. Hiei was a tricky one; Sango already knew that from their limited encounters. She had no doubt about his stubbornness and, for some reason, his clear disliking of his companions. Although, his distaste might have been saved for Kuwabara alone. 

Sango sat with a sleeping Kirara on her lap and although she was tired, she knew sleep would not come just yet. As she rubbed tired eyes, she felt eyes upon her. She glanced down at Yusuke, who met her eyes for a moment before looking away. He shifted on his side, trying to find a comfortable spot on the bare ground. Remembering what Kagome was like during the first few times she had done the same, she knew he would not find one.

Kurama was on his back as he gazed up at the starry sky, his arms folded over his stomach. He did not appear at all worn out, but she knew he was at least a little drained. Just as she had noticed Yusuke's gaze, he must have felt hers because he suddenly turned his head toward her.

A curiousness had built up inside her and she felt the need to ask. "You've said before that it was Kuwabara who got you into this mess." Neither boy spoke so she pressed on. "Why exactly did Kuwabara want to go back in time?"

Yusuke and Kurama exchanged silent glances. Then Yusuke rolled onto his other side and away from Sango, letting Kurama answer.

"That… is for you to ask Kuwabara."


	9. Saved

**Redirection**

**Chapter Nine:**

**Saved**

"_At this rate, by the time you find your friend and get back, you'll be a few _years_ older than you were." —Shippo_

* * *

"Anybody home?" 

Kuwabara's eyes blinked open when he heard the familiar voice. It was a voice he had not heard in a few days time and was considerably brightened at it.

He woke fully from his nap and sat up stiffly; he still had not gotten used to sleeping without a mattress. Light seeped into the hut when someone pushed the "door" to the side and walked into the room.

Kuwabara sprang to his feet when he laid eyes on her. "Kagome!" She smiled, but it did not quite reach her eyes. If anything, she looked put off. He felt his own smile wilt. "What happened?"

She had gone back to their time to search for Keiko… What had happened?

Kagome only shook her head. "I'll explain as soon as everyone gets here. Where is everyone?"

Both glanced upward when they heard a racket coming from above. The roof groaned and shook until a dull thud came from outside as something dropped down from on top of the hut. Inuyasha appeared in the doorway moments later.

"They're out searching for the last of their group," the demon informed Kagome.

"They said they would be back in a few days, so they should be on their way back now," Kuwabara added helpfully.

Kagome pondered something for a moment and then said, "Well, if they're on their way back, we should meet them halfway."

"Wouldn't it be smarter if we wait and—"

But Kuwabara's words were useless because Kagome was already moving with determination. She dropped her large yellow bag onto the floor and gathered her bow while throwing on her quiver. She was outside the hut before Kuwabara could say anything more.

Kuwabara followed her out for a lack of a better thing to do. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and slunk back onto of the roof, crossing his arms as he sulked. He obviously had no interest in going with them as they looked for the others, being the stubborn hanyou he was.

The only thing that caused Kagome to pause momentarily was when Miroku and Shippo appeared. She briefly told them where she was headed and with a shrug, Miroku followed behind the girl. Shippo trotted behind them and Kuwabara trailed behind the rest.

Shippo scampered forward and gazed up at the miko. "Did you find her?"

Kagome, although very slightly, shook her head. Shippo sighed and glanced backward at Kuwabara. Not only had Kagome not found their friend or a way to get home, they still had not found their other companion that was somewhere in the past with them.

"At this rate, by the time you find your friend and get back, you'll be a few _years_ older than you were."

If the orange-haired boy heard, he did not reply to the kitsune's words.

* * *

The wind tousled the demon slayer's hair as she gripped Kirara's fur firmly in her hands. She glanced down at the ground, at the very least a hundred yards below her, her eyes scanning for something. Someone. 

She had split apart from Yusuke and Kurama because of the same sentiment as before. They thought that Sango might have a better chance of finding their friend on her own, though she highly doubted it. She had not mentioned the faint memory of his death threat the last time they met and had she, they probably would have thought differently about her ability to find him. Then again, maybe not. Maybe they would know that he had no intention of really killing her, but to her, it seemed real enough.

However, Sango saw no sign of him as she gazed down at the land below her. Much to her surprise, she caught sight of someone else she did not expect to see.

The person glanced upward and raised both arms as she waved to the demon exterminator and neko youkai. "Sango!" Kagome called.

Kirara needed no prompting before she landed in front of the miko and her entourage. Kagome grinned at the two and gave Kirara a customary scratch behind the ear.

"Kagome. You're back early," Sango noted. It had only been two days since she had left. That did not bode well for the three searching for a way out.

"It didn't go so hot," Kagome said. After she spoke, she was not sure if Sango would understand the slang and would have clarified, but Sango seemed to get the idea since she nodded solemnly.

"Now we're just looking for Yusuke and Kurama," Kuwabara said.

"I can find them quickly if you'd like," Sango suggested. She patted Kirara along her neck. "If you're up to it, Kirara."

Kirara gave a soft mew in response as her two tails twitched. Kagome and Miroku took a step back, giving Kirara room to turn around.

"We'll keep searching by foot. Meet you halfway, okay?" Kagome said.

Sango would have responded, but did not have time as Kirara suddenly leapt up and took off into the air. She scanned the ground below as it quickly went by while hoping the two were not someplace she could not see them. Finally, she found the two in question some distance away.

Kirara landed in front of the two and Sango slid off her back. She informed them that Kagome was back and off looking for them. Though, she told them grimly, it did not seem to be good news.

As soon as she finished her short report, she found her eyes drifting over to Yusuke. There was something off, but she could not exactly put her finger on it. It annoyed her faintly that she could not figure out what it is.

"Why do you seem different?" Sango asked of him abruptly.

Kurama looked amused by her comment. He glanced at Yusuke. "His hair has… been deflated ever since he washed up in that stream."

Yusuke pulled at the strands of his hair that partially covered his eyes. "Yeah. Apparently, hair gel hasn't been invented yet," he complained.

Ah, so that was it. It looked better in its current condition; at least, she thought so. Not that she would say it out loud.

Not having anything more to say, Sango lifted herself back onto Kirara. "Come on, we'll go meet Kagome and the others."

When Yusuke raised an inquisitive eyebrow, Sango motioned to the spot behind her. Yusuke glanced at Kurama, who made an "after you" gesture. Then with a shrug, the delinquent hoisted himself up to sit behind the demon slayer. Sango slid forward, as did Yusuke, to make some room for Kurama as well.

With all three loaded on top of Kirara, the demon took off into the air once more, though her pace was considerably slower than it was before. It would be awhile before they met up with the other group.

* * *

"Kagome." 

Her name was said low and urgently. She froze in place.

It was Miroku that was calling to her. His voice sounded so imperative. Was there actually something happening, or was he just being Miroku? Something told her it was not the latter.

"Don't move."

Her leg was lifted, ready to set up on a fallen tree trunk in front of her. She stopped and put her leg back down.

"Why?" she murmured back.

Taking a chance, she turned around to glance at him. Even Kuwabara, who was standing beside the monk, looked at him with perplexity. His grip was tight on the staff he held, his eyes dark. He looked like he might have been about to answer, but something else captured her attention.

She felt something _move_ against her leg and it was no small force. Her head snapped around as she stumbled backward. The thing that she had assumed was a tree branch was _sliding_ past her while a low hissing sound met her ears.

Kagome was jerked backward, away from the thing in front of her, and she pulled against someone. She glanced up to see that it was Miroku holding her tight.

"What is it?" Shippo asked. The kitsune kept his body unconsciously low to the ground.

"We should make our exit," Miroku said. He had let go of Kagome and instead he held the beads on his right arm. "Now."

When Kagome began backing up, Kuwabara and Shippo followed suit. But when Miroku stepped forward as his hand tightened on the beads, the moving object suddenly stopped. Then the end of it lifted up and whipped forward toward Miroku. Before he knew it, he was staring into the face of a giant snake.

Its mouth gaped open, displaying two sharp fangs while its tongue flickered out, tasting the air around it. Before it could make another move, Miroku unleashed his wind tunnel on it.

Only it didn't move. It wavered because of the wind, whipping its head this way and that, but it would not budge from its spot. The trees around them, however, were beginning to bend and groan as the roots tried to break free of the ground.

Miroku muttered softly and quickly rewound his beads around his hand, getting nowhere in his attack. Then he, with the others, ran to the nearby clearing. Kagome did not need to look back to know if the snake was following; she could hear it as it toppled trees over with its body.

Kagome stopped and spun around once the trees had thinned to almost nothing around them and then quickly shrugged her bow off her shoulder. She strung an arrow quickly and shot it as soon as the demon came into few. The arrow flew through the air, but she missed its head.

Correction. She missed its _heads_.

Instead of having only one head, the creature in front of them had three. One was where it should have been, but at the end of the snake where a tail should have been, instead there were another two heads.

It slithered forward, raising one of its head high up over the ground while the other two were low and slinking around. The raised head darted forward and took a quick snap at them, which Miroku parried with his staff. The entire group jumped back as another head snapped at them and only missed taking away Shippo because of Kuwabara's sword. Two of the mouths let out a low hiss when it missed its target. The other head only narrowed its eyes at them.

Miroku opened his wind tunnel once more, but two of the heads buried their fangs firmly into the ground and refused to be sucked into the void. He leapt back and covered the hand with a soft word that would put other monks to shame.

With the danger gone, the demon removed its teeth from the ground a hissed at them, though its eyes seemed to be directed on Miroku. It completely froze, then without warning attacked all at once.

Miroku struck one of the snake's heads across the face while Kuwabara struck another with his sword, opening a gash on its neck. When the third tried to attack Kagome, Shippo leapt up and used his fox fire against it and the demon growled as fire burnt its eyes.

The demon began shuddering as its body lay on the grass. It quivered and hissed until suddenly, five copies of itself appeared from its body and spread out to form a circle around them.

The three retreated a bit then stood back to back with each other with the exception of Shippo, who was resting tensely on Kagome's shoulder.

"So…" Kuwabara began as he eyed the demons warily. "I'll take the two on the left, Miroku can take the two on the right, and Kagome can get the ones behind us. Sound good?"

Kagome chewed on her lower lip nervously. "Um, I guess."

"What'll I do?" Shippo questioned with indignity, to which Kuwabara patted him on the head and said, "Help Kagome, squirt."

Three heads from three separate snakes darted forward and attacked each one of the humans. Miroku jabbed his staff into the eye of the head that attacked him, while Kuwabara swung at another one—and his sword went clean through it without affecting it at all. Kagome swung her bow at the snake that came at her similarly, but it too passed through it. It opened its jaws and attempted to take a bit out of her… but again, it passed straight through.

"Only one of them is real," Kagome said in realization. "Only one of the snakes is real."

One snake with three heads, five copies, one real… that would be three times six… Which would be eighteen…? And then minus the real ones…

Maybe she really _should_ go to math class once and awhile. Then again, who needs class when she had real life examples right in front of her?

"That means fifteen of these heads cannot affect us," Miroku concluded long before Kagome could.

She pouted. "I was getting to that."

"…But how do we know which one?" Kuwabara asked.

"That…" Miroku began. Then the snakes all slid into one another, two moving in a circle, two moving back and forth, and two moving sporadically. They passed through each other and they quickly lost track of them.

"…one," he finished weakly.

One of the bodies shot forward and struck at them and another one behind them was not too far behind. About half of the heads reared back, but before they could even attempt to strike, Miroku had his wind tunnel active once more.

He was hopeful it would help identify which was real, but even the copies reacted to the wind and faked their grasp on the ground. Unfortunately, he could not keep all of them occupied that way; the ones behind him slithered forward and at the small group. Kagome shot an arrow clumsily at one, but it phased right through the illusion while meanwhile four heads attacked Kuwabara.

He swung without aim and passed through the fake skin before feeling a sharp pain in his leg. Before he could register what had happened, the head of one of the snakes slammed against him. He flew into the air and rocketed away from the others, barely hearing her loud cry.

"Kazuma!"

* * *

He watched as the girl foolishly lifted her foot, almost stepping on the snake demon. The monk had pulled her back after warning her. At least _he_ could sense the present danger, unlike the other incompetent three. 

He sneered at their surprise when the demon began to slither away, though he had to say he was mildly impressed by the wind the monk produced. He sucked up many rocks and leaves around him, but not the demon. Hn, what he didn't know was that the demon was holding itself firmly against the floor with four of its fangs.

They ran, which did not surprise him, though the girl paused to shoot an arrow that completely missed the demon. The demon shot forward and attacked them a few times, but they blocked the blows. Then without warning, the demon produced mirrored images of itself.

The doubles were obviously fakes, but they did not realize that at first. Even when they did, they could not figure out which was the real one. He scoffed. Did they not notice only the real one had a shadow?

Hiei could have cut the demon down in a matter of moments. Not that he would, but it was pathetic watching the three humans and the little demon try. They were getting absolutely no where as the demon kept playing with them as they tried to figure out where the real demon was. Utterly useless, they all were.

He watched with dark satisfaction as Kuwabara was thrown into the air and knocked away from the demon. Good. If he could not fight a simple foe, then he deserved what he got. He _deserved_ more than that for the pain that he caused, for what he let happen. His pathetic life was _saved_ and because of that…

His entire body tensed and rage rushed through him. He _lives_ and yet… and yet…!

His attention sharply turned toward the girl as she foolishly called Kuwabara's name and ran to him. Her back was to Hiei as she kneeled beside the oaf, checking him to make sure he was okay.

From behind, he saw the demon rear one of its heads, inching forward toward the two. The monk called to her, but she would sense the threat far too late.

The way she knelt beside him… and how her back stiffened when she heard him call… The way the demon jerked forward…

He did not think; he only moved. He darted forward and grabbed the girl, saving her from the attack.

Why? Why had he done it?

Because for a moment, to him… she had looked like Yukina.


	10. Stay

**Redirection**

**Chapter Ten:**

**Stay**

"_This doesn't concern you, woman." —Hiei_

* * *

He could feel her heart beating wildly as he held her against him. One knee lay on the ground as the other leg was bent to brace her back, his arms around her shoulders and waist. He felt a weight against his chest since her face was partially buried there, but when the girl looked up, although there was a look of gratitude and relief on her face, she looked like she was expecting to see someone else. When she saw him instead, bewilderment grew in her eyes. 

His attention turned to the side as a cat demon attacked the true snake, probably having figured out the trick with the shadow from the air. A large boomerang went flying by one of its head, missing it when the head jerked out of the way. As it snapped at the weapon as it passed, a familiar blue blast came a moment after and completely destroyed one of the heads. The monk quickly re-focused his attention on the real demon, distracting the monster with the void in his hand. One of its heads was halfway sucked into the hole before the demon had time to react and although it resisted by clamping its other head's teeth into the ground, it was eventually forced off into the void of nothingness.

Jumping off the neko youkai, Sango touched down easily. Her gaze turned toward Hiei and she watched him with a guarded expression, while Yusuke and Kurama also dropped to the ground, following not too far behind.

Hiei turned his attention back to the girl in his arms and the realization of what he had done hit him like a blow. He let go of the girl abruptly, causing her to drop to the ground, but he did not care.

_Why_ had he done that?

Sango would have compared him to a frozen prey that had just sensed a predatory attack, if the look in his eyes had not been so smoldering. And yet, there seemed to be a certain… confusion in his gaze amidst the irritation.

He took a step back, away from all of them. He looked like he was about to flee before Sango suddenly grabbed his arm to stop him from going. He spun around so quickly when she laid a hand on him that she almost wondered if she had inflicted pain on him when she had done it.

Before she could blink, her arm was painfully twisted behind her back and she was forced onto her knees. By the time she had noticed he let go of her and glanced up, he was gone from her sight.

* * *

Using his agility to its near maximum, Hiei jumped from branch to branch, tree to tree, as he ran. To the untrained eye, all he was was a blur of black, flying by—if they were lucky enough to see him at all. He sprung forward to jump onto the next branch… when it was suddenly knocked away by a blast of light. 

Hiei dropped down to the floor with some surprise though he almost immediately had to dodge as another blast was sent in his direction.

He heard the Spirit Detective curse to himself and then louder said, "You bastard, stop running away!"

What he said made him stop and turn to Yusuke with a heated glare. Then within the blink of the eye, he appeared in front of Yusuke and took a swing at him. Although unbelievably fast, Yusuke still managed to catch the fist.

"Not your best, Hiei. You're faster than that," the delinquent informed the demon, though there was a trace of arrogance in his voice. There was a sloppiness to Hiei's actions that Yusuke had not seen before.

In reply, Hiei took the Spirit Detective's feet out from under him, sending him with a hard thud onto the ground. He quickly jumped to his feet while at the same time sending a small blast at Hiei that clipped his thigh.

Hiei dashed forward and punched him square in the jaw in retaliation, but Yusuke merely took the blow while landing one of his own on the demon. Both stumbled back a few steps. Although Hiei would never admit it, when it came to hand-to-hand fighting, Yusuke was the stronger of the two.

Yusuke ran a rough hand over his jaw and knew it would leave a bruise. He fixed Hiei with a look. "You gave us a helluva time chasing you."

Yusuke was suddenly doubling over as a blow hit his stomach, though his foot caught the fire demon in the side as Hiei jumped backward. It hardly fazed the demon. Hiei ran a semicircle around Yusuke before he could recover and struck two blows, one to his back and one to the back of his head. Yusuke fell with a grunt to his knees.

"Don't you wanna leave this place?" Yusuke yelled at him as he got back on his feet.

Hiei paused in their fight, although Yusuke was still prepared for another attack. He responded deadpan. "Here or there, it's all the same."

The Spirit Detective's hands turned into fists as frustration coursed through him. "We're not leaving without you."

"Hiei, it's time to go back."

He recognized the calm voice straight away and glanced at the fox. He noticed with annoyance that the other woman who had appeared with the cat demon was a few steps behind him.

Yusuke looked at the girl and Kurama briefly before turning back to Hiei. He tried to reason with him by saying, "There's nothing for you here."

"Or there," Kurama added softly, voicing what Hiei was certainly thinking. His emerald eyes locked with the fire demon's crimson ones.

Hiei did not look grateful for his spoken words. If anything, he looked angrier. His thoughts, his mind were his own. The fox has no right to assume anything about what he thought.

"Go back to your precious human mother, fox," Hiei spat. "I'll do as I want."

He must have looked like he was about to leave again because the girl took an unintentional step toward him. He turned eyes as sharp as daggers to her.

"This doesn't concern you, woman."

Her face contorted with displeasure at the comment, but turned stiffly all the same. To try and ease her annoyance, Kurama mentioned quietly to her that it would probably be best if she checked on the others. She shrugged tense shoulders in an action that was anything but nonchalant.

Hiei fixed his gaze on Yusuke next and with a sigh, Kurama exchanged a silent look with the Spirit Detective. Yusuke seemed to get whatever message he was sending because he gave a wave of his arm as though to say "do whatever you want" and then followed the other girl back.

When both were out of sight and hearing range, only then did Kurama speak. "You know you don't wish to stay here."

He did not answer, but there was no act of violence either. Kurama took that as a favorable sign and took a small step forward.

When still he did not speak, Kurama spoke again. "What of Mukuro?"

The short demon stiffened considerably at the mention of the name. He did not answer the question the fox asked, but he did respond.

"Demons running rampant, killing humans as they please… Sounds better than any place I've known."

Kurama's arms were crossed. He tried to meet Hiei's eyes, but his comrade was pointedly avoiding the contact.

"And no one to know you as the 'Forbidden Child'?"

His voice was no longer friendly or soothing, but neither was it hard or cruel. It held no emotion at all. Just a simple question.

Hiei landed a harsh punch across Kurama's face and the fox was forced to take a step back because of it. His own retreat surprised him, especially when he has been expecting something from Hiei and had braced himself for it.

"I'd be careful with you words, fox." Venom dripped from his voice.

Kurama brushed a hand against his scolded cheek, though unaffected by his tone. "You're even more violent than usual," he noted. Being very careful with his own tone of voice, he continued. "Hiei."

He had said it without a trace of patronization, sympathy, or anything of the sort. The fox's voice was light and near emotionless. It had the desired effect since Hiei stayed put.

"You will be better off in our own time than trapped in this one. We're confined to this past, but we belong in the future." Entirely cautious, he took a step toward the demon as one approaching a wild bird would do. One wrong step and the creature would fly free.

"If only for a little while, come with us as we try to find a way to the future, our time."

Hiei turned, but did not leave. His next words were low, but Kurama managed to hear them anyway.

"There is no future for me, only past."

* * *

Yusuke let out a noise of brief annoyance. He pushed off the wall he was leaning against and crossed to the other side of the old woman's home, though he had yet to see said woman. 

"So you said you couldn't find her. What exactly happened?" the Spirit Detective asked.

"I went to the address you gave me and everything, but she—Keiko—wasn't home. She's on some sort of vacation."

"Again?" Yusuke muttered.

Kagome looked from Yusuke to Kurama and then finally Kuwabara. "Is there anyway I can find this 'Botan' directly?"

Inuyasha's gaze snapped to Kagome as his eyes narrowed. "You've done enough for them already."

"Would you rather they remain here forever?" Miroku reasoned with the hanyou, one eyebrow raised.

There was a momentary pause in which none spoke. All that could be heard were the crickets chirping outside in the dark.

"…So where does this Botan live?"

"You probably won't be able to find her," Kuwabara told Kagome. "When we're not around, Botan is not usually human."

"Is she a demon?" Sango inquired. They mentioned it so casually that she was not human. Although, considering that she traveled around with three—or two and a half, depending how it was looked at—demons, she did not find it too odd.

"No," Yusuke responded with a peculiar half-smile. "She's the Grim Reaper."

"Eh?" Kagome questioned, eyes wide in surprise.

"I never get tired of seeing people's reaction to that," Yusuke muttered to Kuwabara with a laugh.

"Our relations are growing thin. Not many know of Botan that Kagome can contact easily," Kurama mused. "My mother would certainly not do. What of Kuwabara's sister? Botan might check in with her if we're missing for too long."

Kuwabara seemed to contemplate what he said and nodded with a smile to the idea. With Keiko out of the picture at least for now, his sister would be their best hope.

Kagome grabbed a pen and paper, looking much the part of a reporter. "Alright, what's her name and where does she live?"

Seeing that her presence was no longer needed, Sango stood up, which earned her a few glances. Kagome's inquisitive gaze especially drew her attention. The demon slayer gave her a small assuring smile before she walked out.

She walked past a view homes in the village, but did not leave sight of Kaede's hut, though in the darkness it would have been hard to see her anyway. She hopped onto a fence with ease, gripping the sides lightly as she sat before she tilted her head upward to gaze at the night's sky with eyes that did not truly see what they were viewing.

Not a few minutes later she heard a murmur beside her. "Sometimes I forget what an independent creature you can be."

She glanced to the side to see Miroku next to her, leaning his crossed arms against the fence. His gaze, however, was not on her, but all for the stars that her eyes had just left. She tipped her head back once more to return her gaze to the cloudy sky.

"And despite that, here you are," Sango informed him. Her voice was neither friendly nor unfriendly, but did have an edge to it. "I had nothing more to contribute to their conversation."

Even as she said it, she wondered how it had become _their_ conversation and not _our_. She wondered if it was it was unintentionally, or was she subconsciously excluding herself from the group.

"If you'd prefer I go…"

Her face had taken on a solemn look. "You know what I would have preferred." Even as she spoke the words, she regretted them. She shook her head as though to throw them off and hope they were forgotten. "It doesn't matter now."

A painful silence settled over the two. The clouds above them drifted away and finally revealed the moon to the two gazers. Their surroundings became bathed in soft moonlight.

She felt more than saw Miroku move beside her. A hand reached out to touch her cheek, but she turned away and his hand fell short. She could take any groping he could dish out and disregard them, but such a gentle touch…

Sango slipped to the ground while refusing to glance at the monk beside her.

"Don't you wonder why it is Kuwabara wanted to go back in time?"

She did not wait for his reply. Her hands dropped from the fence and began walking back to Kaede's home without a glance back.

"I could take a guess…"

But his whisper was lost in the darkness and fell upon no ears.

* * *

Had he been Yusuke, he might have rolled his eyes and snorted when he heard the troubled talk below him. However, that was below Hiei so he did no such thing. Instead, he merely leaned back to lie across the roof as he attempted to ignore their chatting. 

He noticed with distaste that it smelt faintly of dog, probably because that white-eared demon spent a considerable amount of time on the roof he was currently occupying. A vague smirk came on his face when he thought of how annoyed the mutt had been when he found the fire demon in his spot. He had locked eyes with the mutt, signaling a challenge which the dog very well would have accepted had the miko not touched his arm and a threat in her eyes as her mouth opened to speak something. Tch. Pathetic demon to be tamed by one small human girl.

His attention was slightly elevated when _that_ girl emerged from the hut, the one that always seemed to interfere in his business. She did not take any notice to the demon as she walked away and he watched her with limited interest. Another stranger left the house after her and followed and though they talked quietly for a short while, when the male reached out to touch her, she moved away. Hn, Humans and their emotions; he would never understand it.

The girl walked back toward the hut and when she was a few feet from it, for the first time her eyes flickered upward to him. She held his eyes for a moment as she noticed him for the first time that night. But unlike any time before, she did not try to approach him at all. It was as though she did not even care about his existence. He could not explain why, but her indifference irritated him.

When the moment was over she looked away and completely ignored him as she disappeared inside the hut, passing the second female in the doorway as she did. He recognized this new female outside as well. The one he had saved.

Just the thought of it displeased him. How, for even a moment, could he compare this wretch to her? They were nothing alike! His displeasure turned to anger as he glared at her from above.

Her eyes searched her surroundings until they found him sitting atop the roof. She stepped closer to him, standing just beneath him on the ground. His unforgiving eyes must have unnerved her because he sensed her anxiousness.

"I… back then… Thank you."

She seemed more at ease after saying it, but not entirely. The girl looked like she expected some reply from him. His gaze hardened.

"Stupid human, I didn't do it for you."

The words confused her; it was plainly written all over her face. Practically every thought was displayed there, running across her face or through her eyes. She physically shook her head as though she were trying to shake his harshly spoken words from her.

"Why ever you did it, you still have my thanks."

"You're wasting your sentiments."

Her hands went immediately to her hips as she pursed her lips. "Can't you just accept a simple 'thank you'?"

He did not answer, which caused her to huff and disappear back inside.

What a foolish, dimwitted girl. She _certainly_ did not compare.


	11. Friendship

**Redirection**

**Chapter Eleven:**

**Friendship**

"_This time is so _boring_." —Yusuke Urameshi_

* * *

Kagome jerked suddenly and instantly awoke when she heard a yell. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up, glancing around the hut, but only saw the few others around her as they too were startled out of sleep. Before she could open her mouth to ask, someone else beat her to it. 

"What the hell was that!" Yusuke yelled as he too was awoken from sleep. "That sounded like…"

The boy broke off as he jumped to his feet and rushed outside where Kagome could hear more harsh noises coming from. She quickly made a grab for her bow and ran outside after him in an attempt to find the source of the commotion.

She did not have to look far. Just as she exited Kaede's home, her eyes found Kuwabara as he fell to the ground on his back. He was sprawled out on the dirt, though he jerked backward as a blade came and buried itself in the ground between his legs. His eyes were wild as his gaze trailed up the sword's blade and to its owner.

"What is wrong with you!" Kuwabara yelled as he scrambled backward.

Hiei easily extracted the sword even though it was deeply imbedded in the ground. The villagers that were nearby quickly scattered away from them and into the sanctity of their homes. Kagome looked past the two making a scene and to Kurama across from her. He met her eyes for only a moment, but then switched his gaze to his two companions.

Hiei swung his sword at the boy in what could only be described as a near _lazy_ action—they had all witnessed his speed and knew what he was capable of; though his swipe was still fast for a normal person. Kuwabara just managed to dodge it as he rolled to the side and scrambled to his feet. Hiei was already prepared and swung twice, each time Kuwabara's dancing backward to miss it. A few more swings and Kuwabara stumbled back and fell to the ground once again.

Why? Why was no one trying to stop them?

When Hiei pinned his blade just above Kuwabara's heart, keeping him frozen in place, Kagome protested as she took a step forward. A held out arm stopped her as she tried to go to the boy.

Kagome glanced upward at Miroku, but he was not looking at her. Strangely enough, his eyes were locked with Kurama's across from them. Kagome had no idea what exchange was made, but something passed between them in the extensive time they held each other's eyes.

Finally, Kurama stepped forward. "That's enough, Hiei."

Red eyes darted towards the redhead. His hand tightened on the hilt of his sword, but then he put the weapon away. "Death is too good for you."

Kagome glanced from Kuwabara and Hiei to Kurama and then spun around to face Yusuke. Her eyes were accusing and her face gave away her bewilderment. "I thought you said you were friends!"

Yusuke had not taken his eyes off the two since the ordeal began. "They've avoided each other for months. Kuwabara never knew that she… that Hiei was…" He left it there.

Hiei turned his back to the boy and looked as though he were about to leave.

"It's not my fault!" Kuwabara yelled.

The demon halted and his entire body stiffened.

"_It wasn't my fault_!"

Hiei glanced over one shoulder, eyes smoldering. "Who are you trying to convince?"

He blurred out of view and disappeared without waiting for a reply. A tense silence followed and set itself over the others. Kagome wanted answers, but none seemed willing to answer her anything. She would have opened her mouth anyway, but all words were forgotten when she was suddenly lifted off the ground.

"You're going home."

The hanyou threw her over one shoulder and she protested loudly and vocally as she squirmed, but he would not relinquish his hold. Without another warning, he took off toward the forest and then ran through the trees, never stopping until he reached the clearing with the well.

"—d, put me down! Hey! Lemme go!"

She pounded on his back with her fists and he finally dropped her to the grass, though not as nicely as she had hoped. Not that it matter since she instantly sprung to her feet.

"What was that about!" Kagome exclaimed.

She would have continued, but when his golden eyes met her brown ones she was silenced. There was deep emotion there. Concern.

"I don't trust these people. It's dangerous if you stay."

She wanted to argue, but was not sure she could. These four strange companions and friends—and she used the term "friend" lightly after what she just saw—were fighters. They were powerful and certainly not harmless. They could not even quell fights amongst themselves; what were they capable of in regards to strangers or their foes?

"Go home."

Although it was hard, she swallowed her argument for Inuyasha's sake. He was worried about her. She felt… touched. Yet even that would not have stopped her from protesting, if she did not have something she needed to do back in her own time.

"…Fine. But I'll be coming back soon!"

* * *

She found him sitting in the shade of one of the villagers' houses, slouched down with his back leaning against the wall and his feet sprawled out in front of him. He looked like he was dozed off, but the demon slayer knew better than that. Sango knew for all his peaceful appearance, he was still wide awake. 

"Your demon friend is gone again?"

She had regrettably missed the show that morning. She had gone out that morning with Kirara in tow in attempt to alleviate some of the stress the previous night had laid upon her shoulders. Fighting was less taxing; demons she could handle. Emotional stress she would have rather avoided.

Yusuke cracked open an eye. "After he almost castrated Kuwabara, he took off," he said dryly. He closed both eyes again and shifted his shoulders as he settled more comfortable against the wall. "But I know he'll be back this time on his own."

She would have to take his word on that. He knew the demon better than she.

Feeling it was odd that she was standing while he was sitting, she knelt in front of him. He must have heard or sensed her movement, but he said and did nothing.

"Why was he trying to hurt Kuwabara?" she asked. Yusuke seemed to pause so she pushed forward. "It has to do with the reason you're here, doesn't it?"

"Let's just say something bad happened."

Again with the vague answers. Why were they avoiding the subject? Both he and Kurama would not answer her question before. What were they trying to hide?

"I'd like a clearer answer than that." Using her only trump card, she added, "We _are_ going out of our way to help you, not to mention I was the one that saved you."

A short laugh escaped Yusuke as he opened both eyes. He sat up straighter, though not entirely upright. "Ouch. You're using that against us now?"

He smiled and it must have been contagious because she felt the edges of her lips turn upward in a small smile. A short silence spread between them until Yusuke abruptly jumped up from where he was sitting. Sango spun on her knees to watch him as he walked a small ways away, kicking a pebble in the process.

"This time is so _boring_. What the hell do you do with all your free time?"

Sango shrugged. "Fighting demons takes up most of my time."

As she watched him walk back and forth, an idea came to mind. She braced her hands on her knees and stood. "I have a proposition."

"What?"

He seemed eager to do anything to chase away the boredom.

"If I bring you somewhere that'll entertain you, then you have to tell me what's going on."

He eyed her with some suspicion, but interest dominated his gaze. Finally, a grin spread across his face. "You got yourself a deal."

* * *

"Alright, stir them up again." 

"How many?"

"As many as you can get."

Sango did not need him to be turned his way to know that there was a smirk on his face when he made that last comment. Not that if he even turned to her she would be able to see the smile anyway. The cave that they were in was exceedingly dark with little light seeping in from the sun at the mouth of the cave.

The demon slayer lifted her large weapon and let it rip through the air, stirring up the petit bat demon on the ceiling and walls. They let out screeches as the weapon passed near—though never touched—them and took flight as they flapped around a bit. Yusuke took the opportunity to let loose what he called his "shotgun", which struck a few of the demons and sent them shrieking to the floor before they stopped all movement and sound.

"How many was that?" he asked.

Sango took a step forward and crouched down as she quickly counted. "You knocked down eight," she told him as she stood back up.

"Only eight? Damn."

"And you knocked a piece of the ceiling off so that's minus one."

"Oh come on!" he protested.

He sounded none too happy and gruffly signaled for her to take her turn as he turned away.

With a small smile, Sango hauled her weapon over her head and gave it a good spin. It spun quickly through the air and caught four of the small bats while on its return trip it managed to slice in half another seven.

"Eleven," she told him nonchalantly.

She overheard him grumble, "it's unfair because your weapon's bigger."

The comment might have made others angry, and in another situation "others" might have included her, but at that moment it made her smirk. "You're just a sore loser."

He gave her a look, but let it drop there. "What's up with these bats though? They dangerous?"

"Right now, no. But these bats can grow to be huge and start feeding on humans. We're doing humanity a favor here," she informed him while gesturing toward the little beasts.

The Spirit Detective raised his hand in its gun-like position up to eye level. "Then I'm up for another round."

The two continued their competition well into the day, playing quite a few more rounds while changing the rules ever so slightly each time. One time, it was how many of the creatures they could bring down in thirty seconds, which Yusuke dominated at, and another round they changed it to who could stir up, but not injure the most. All in all, Sango kept the boy entertained, just as she had promised.

They paused around midday to take a break and walked outside the cave to a cliff where they settled at the edge with their feet dangling off the side. Yusuke laid back on the hard ground, lifting one arm to shade his eyes from the sun.

After only a few minutes, Sango spoke. "Time to keep your end of this bargain."

His face was partially obscured because of the arm laid over her eyes so she was not sure entirely what he was feeling, but she did see his lips twitch.

"I was hoping you'd forget 'bout that," he admitted. "You wanted to know about Kuwabara, right? Someone close to him died."

He moved his arm higher so that it still shaded his face, but also allowed him to look at the demon slayer next to him as he talked. When their eyes met, Sango could not look away.

"When she died… Kuwabara changed. It wasn't always noticeable, but he was—_is_ different."

He sat up next to her abruptly, breaking the contact. He stared below them instead at the steep drop.

"He was distraught at first, then became obsessed with finding a way to somehow bring her back. Spirit World could do nothing… they only deal with the souls of humans."

She had to know so she had to ask. "But why does she matter to Hiei?"

If not for the display that morning that she had missed, she never would have made any connection to Hiei and this mysterious person who had died. But from what Miroku had told her, the red-eyed demon had been attacking Kuwabara while the latter had said how "it" wasn't his fault. Was this "it" related to the girl and her demise? And why did Hiei care about her? From what she could gather of his personality, he did not seem to be the type to explicitly care about anyone or anything; yet he had _openly_ attacked Kuwabara… because of this "she"? It did not seem his style and yet he had done it. Maybe a reassessment of his character was in order…

Contemplating the thoughts in her mind, she did not realize the short silence that stretched between the two until she stopped her analysis of burning questions. She then felt Yusuke give a small nudge to her side. Any harder and she might have fallen over the edge.

"Why, you jealous?"

In response, she gave his foot a small kick, though she was much more timid about it. She was not used to this kind of kidding around and much less used to casual touching, not including Miroku's advances. But she would not call those "casual" anyway.

"You know that's not it."

Her gaze followed him up as he stood and she cautioned him since it was a long way down. His hands had disappeared inside his pockets; a sign, she had come to realize, that he was somewhat unsure of himself. What, she was wondering, he would not elaborate on. Or, perhaps, could not?

"Come on, let's go for a few more rounds. I need to beat you sommore."

She knew he had changed the subject purposefully, but allowed it all the same. "Actually, it was the other way around," she told him as she stood. "I did more of the 'beating' than you did."

He opened his mouth in what she knew would be a loud protest, but refused to listen as she passed by him and disappeared into the cave.

* * *

The redheaded fox closed his eyes contently as a cool breeze passed over him. It was somewhat warm that day; enough so that he had decided to rest under the shade of a tree. Being overshadowed by the trees branches and leaves made the day perfectly enjoyable and comfortable. 

He knew that he did not want to sleep and instead he ran the events of the day over in his mind. It had started with a short conversation with Hiei, though most of the talking had been done by him since Hiei was laconic as always. He had left to wash up then, only to come back in the middle of Kuwabara's struggle against the angry demon. Kagome had been flustered by it while her monk companion had met the fox's gaze with curious and penetrating eyes. His eyes were not as sharp as his and Hiei's or even Yusuke's could be, but questioning and insistent all the same. It was then that Kurama had stepped in, though he knew he could not stop his demon friend if he really wanted to continue.

In a more lighthearted moment, Kurama remembered with some amusement, a conversation he had had with one of Kagome's companions after she had disappeared to her time.

Kurama had had lunch a little later than the others—not including Yusuke and the demon slayer, who were no where to be seen—and had been left alone in the hut to eat, save for one other.

* * *

He approached Kurama and sat right in front of him, his arms crossed as he stared. "So," he had begun with what Kurama supposed was meant to be a hard stare. "You're a kitsune too." 

Kurama met the gaze of the small demon—Shippo, he recalled—in front of him, giving him the attention he sought.

"Why would you say that?" Kurama asked lightly.

He looked indignant. "I know another fox when I sense one," he replied haughtily. "But you're weird. You're human. …Except not."

He gave a simple answer. There was no need to go into excruciating detail. "Yes."

"You know… she likes _me_ better."

Kurama blinked as he comprehended the quick change of subject by the small kitsune in front of him. He, of course, knew right away who this "she" was implying. He had noticed how close the small fox usually stuck to the girl.

He decided to indulge him by asking, "Is that so?"

"Yeah. I mean, she's being nice to you and she's been helping you, but she still prefers me."

"I'm sure she does," Kurama assured him.

Shippo's gaze wavered and he hopped to his feet, excepting Kurama's words. He seemed revealed, as though a weight had been lifted.

He walked toward the door, though paused just before exiting. Shippo glanced back. "I'm her favorite. Just so we're clear on that."

It was an effort, but Kurama refrained from smiling. "Crystal."

* * *

After recalling the conversation, he found himself on the edges of slumber, but it was disturbed by an all too familiar loud voice. Kurama did not even bother opening his eyes to see who it was. 

"You cheated!"

Kurama heard a girl's laughter in response. "I don't believe it's _possible_ to cheat." There was a fraction of a pause before she continued, "And if anything, _you_ cheated when you hit my hiraikotsu with one of your blasts."

"It's unfair since you have _two_ chances, when you throw it and on the return trip. I was _evening_ things," he retaliated. "And I still want a rematch!"

"Maybe tomorrow…" she drawled. "…If I feel another victory is in order."

"Hey!"

Kurama opened his eyes and turned his head to the side to watch Yusuke and the girl Sango as they walked toward the village. His gaze only left them momentarily as he noticed the girl's companion, the neko Kirara, dash past him in her smaller form.

"You two seemed to have found a way to amuse yourselves," Kurama mentioned as he sat up and acknowledged their presence. They seemed to notice him for the first time when he spoke and diverted their course to walk toward the redhead instead.

"I had fun, but Yusuke's just annoyed he lost our competition," Sango informed him.

"I did _not_ lose."

The demon slayer laughed once again, but abruptly caught off. Both men turned to her when they noticed the abrupt change. Kurama watched her curiously as her face turned a paler shade and her attention darted to the side. Her hands tightened their grip on the strap of her weapon.

"I… Sorry. Stay here. I have to go."

She spoke hurriedly and no sooner stopped speaking as she ran toward the nearby forest, disappearing into the trees.

Yusuke glanced at the fox and in his eyes, Kurama saw a small conflict there. Then, with an exasperated noise, Yusuke took off after the girl.


	12. Siblings

**Redirection **

**Chapter Twelve: **

**Siblings**

_"You seem like a nice girl—stay out of this." —Shizuru Kuwabara _

* * *

Running. She ran as fast as her feet would take her. She paid no attention to anything else. Her mind was focused on her legs, urging them forward. Faster. She needed to run faster. 

She had seen him. It was just a glimpse, a small, tiny glimpse, but she _knew_ it had to be him.

Her brother was there.

Sango noticed too late the branches in front of her and threw up her hands to protect her face. They scratched and clawed at her arms; one even managed to scrape her just below her right eye. She barely noticed.

She caught sight of something and knew she had not been seeing things before. There was most definitely someone in front of her.

The person slowed as though for the first time sensing another presence

"Kohaku!"

He stopped altogether.

It had to be him. She reached out to grab his arm, but he suddenly spun around and danced back, away from her grasp.

"Wait—!"

Her heart was racing, even more so when she noticed the vacant look in his eyes. She moved forward slowly, cautiously. He tensed as she reached out again and did not move as she put a light hand on his shoulder with hesitance. His stillness both relieved and unnerved her; he was not fighting her for once, but there seemed to be no life in him either.

"Kohaku…"

Then he was suddenly swinging his weapon, attempting to slice the offending hand. She jumped backward and barely missed the strike.

He attacked again and Sango quickly brought her hiraikotsu, using it as a shield. The weapon met hers with a dull clang that made the boomerang vibrate faintly in her hands. Again and again the attacks came, one after the other, more and more ruthlessly as more time passed. Sango felt her feet lose ground and slide back at the attack and felt a tinge of shock. He had never been able to force her back before.

Just abruptly as the attacks began, they stopped without reason. She brought the weapon down, but there was nothing in front of her. Quickly, she glanced all around her, but there was nothing to be seen. He had disappeared.

It left her with a sense of familiarity. The same thing had happened to her before with…

"You let your guard down. You were unprepared for the attack."

She turned her head slowly to look at the demon that had just appeared beside her. Hiei.

"Why?" he asked.

His voice was commanding. He demanded an answer for this outrage. Why had she not fought as she normally did? She had reached a tentative hand out to him instead, even more cautious than she had when she had first met the demon. In his view, it had been entirely foolish and he demanded an explanation. She realized this.

"Why?" She repeated it slowly, the word bringing a mixture of murky emotions to her. Why? _Why_? Why did things turn out this way? "I don't… He was… _is_ my…"

A soft rustle came from behind them and Sango's head snapped toward the noise, her eyes only a slight bit wider, though Hiei noticed the change. It, however, was not who she thought it would be.

"Is this who you're running after?" Yusuke asked as he walked up to both.

Sango was looking toward him, but Hiei did not bother turning around. His intense eyes were all for Sango. For the first time, she felt uncomfortable about his attention. His gaze was burning into her and she did not dare turn his way. Nor would she meet Yusuke's eyes; her gaze stayed firmly on level with his shoulders.

Her body lost some of its tension when Hiei disappeared, though a knot developed in her stomach and she felt worse for leaving things how they were. He had probably lost all respect he had for her—if he had had any towards her to begin with. But it did not matter. She would have rather lost the respect than have admitted her silly weakness.

Yusuke glanced at the slayer. "What was that about?"

* * *

No answer. 

Kagome sighed with a mixture of disappointment and frustration. It was the second time he had come to Kazuma's sister's apartment and for the second time, no one was there to receive her. Another dead end, or so it seemed. Why did it seem there was no way to help these people?

Maybe… she wasn't supposed to help them? The thought made her pause, but only for a moment. The circumstances that landed them in the past were fuzzy and they would not elaborate. Had they done something bad? Was this their punishment?

Kagome dismissed the thoughts as soon as they came. No, that couldn't be. They were just too kind and Kuwabara genuinely seemed to care about the person he missed. There was no way he had done something so terrible.

So caught up in her thoughts, Kagome's gaze was unseeingly on the cement of the walkway as she turned a corner and so she was caught off-guard as she was tossed backward. She stumbled a few feet and felt herself begin to fall, but managed to steady herself by throwing out a hand.

Her hand met with something soft and grasped it. Her gaze snapped up and found herself looking into a stranger's face. She hastily let go and apologized while her cheeks reddened with embarrassment.

The woman did not seem at all fazed by their run in or by Kagome's sudden movements, or at least, as far as Kagome could tell. Her long brown hair partially obscured her face from the miko's view. It completely covered one eye, though she did notice her flicker her gaze over Kagome as she took a drag of her cigarette.

"Looking for someone?"

"I'm looking for…" She raked her brain for Kazuma's last name. "Kuwabara. Shizuru Kuwabara."

The woman raised an eyebrow as she let out a puff of smoke, away from Kagome as a courtesy. "What for? She ever do anything to you? Get you in trouble?"

Confusion clouded Kagome's face until she realized. "Oh! No, nothing like that."

The woman extended a hand. "Then, hi, I'm Shizuru."

Kagome took the hand with some surprise. Relief rushed through her. "You're Kuwabara's sister then?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

She flicked the cigarette away and grinded it into the ground with one foot. She walked by Kagome without a word, though it did not seem like she was trying to avoid her. Kagome took the unsaid invitation and followed as Kuwabara's sister no doubt intended.

"Him and his friends are in trouble…"

"When are they not?" she called back.

"…But he needs your help. Something about a girl… and then…"

Damn, how could she explain without sounding crazy? Not to mention the four of them had not given her much information to begin with! What could she say that could convince Shizuru of anything she said? And what words should she use to explain it anyway?

Hearing how Kagome was stumbling along with her words, Shizuru turned around. "You don't really know much about what happens around him and the others, do you?"

"Well… no. No one would really tell me." She could feel the pout trying to make its way to the surface as she said it. She fought back the urge.

Shizuru let out a sigh and took the last few steps to her apartment, fished out her keys, and opened the locked door. She threw the keys inside and Kagome heard the faint _clack_ as they hit some surface or other. Her hand pushed back the hair in front of her hair in a gesture that all but said that she was unsure how exactly to proceed.

Kuwabara's sister took a shot however, for she continued. "You seem like a nice girl—stay out of this. These problems are way out of your league."

Shizuru turned around and Kagome jumped forward to try and stop her before she disappeared inside. "Wait! But—"

"My brother and his friends and are not the sort of people innocent girls like you should be hanging around. I can handle my brother."

"But this time he can't get out of this mess!" she protested.

"…He always manages somehow, that idiot little brother of mine."

The door closed then and Kagome could argue no more. That did not mean she would let it go that easily. Closing the distance, she knocked—which quickly turned to banging—insistently on the apartment door, but Shizuru did not come to the door again.

Kagome frowned. Why wouldn't she help? If she had heard _her_ brother was in trouble, she would have gone right to his aid. Though, like Shizuru had mentioned, Kuwabara and his friends could handle themselves, but not like this. Not in this particular situation.

She didn't get it. Why wouldn't she _help_?

* * *

With great pains, Kagome hoisted her large yellow pack over the side and let it fall with a large thud on the grass. She clambered out of the well herself next while letting out a tired breath. She could swear each time she came out of that well, her bag got heavier and heavier. Maybe because it _did_, what with all the junk she stuffed into it. 

She caught her breath and shook out jell-o arms before taking up her bag once more. The trek was second nature to her now, she had done it so many times before. Even the trees that would have looked identical to any normal person were all familiar and different in their own way, whether their trunks were scarred or their limbs started almost at ground level. And the one with the branch bent almost ninety degrees to almost touch the ground, which meant she was halfway there.

She staggered a single step backward as something dropped down in front of her.

"You're back soon."

Now _there_ was a change. "You're usually mad at me for staying more than few days," she replied to the familiar golden-eyed demon.

"And you don't come back this early unless I force you," he countered.

She remembered why it was he wanted her to leave. While she was touched by his concern, Kagome did not believe the strangers posed any threat to them. The least friendly of them had saved her, for goodness' sake! It was _impossible_ for them to be any sort of bad guys.

Refusing to meet her eyes, he held out his hand wordlessly. Kagome smiled and handed him the heavy pack that was weighing her down, which he easily lifted. Locking her hands behind her back, she walked side by side with the hanyou as they headed back.

Before they got far, however, they were greeted by some of the others. Kagome bit her lip as she saw their hopeful and curious gazes. She already knew what she was going to say.

She could not tell them the truth. She had only talked with Shizuru the once, even though she tried to find her multiple times afterward. Could she really tell them that Kazuma's sister refused to help? It would crush Kazuma completely. Kagome knew _she_ would be indignant and downright hurt if her brother abandoned her in her hour of need, though she doubted her brother would ever do that to her. He would have tried someway to help her. Even Inuyasha, who had turned into a brotherly figure in her eyes, would never stay away if he knew she was in trouble.

She would rather say she could not get in touch with Shizuru at all. It would be easier on Kazuma that way. So in a quick explanation, she told the others about how she could not find Shizuru, which was partially true. She had been quite elusive, whether it was purposefully or not.

"I'm sorry, guys," she said solemnly. "I'll try harder next time."

"Useless," she heard the demon say before he disappeared in a blur of speed. Inuyasha made a sharp movement as though he was going to follow, but Kagome stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"It's okay," she told her angry friend. His gaze flickered to her and although he remained tense, he settled down somewhat.

Kurama smoothed it over by saying, "you tried, Kagome. That's all we can ask of you."

She bowed her head slightly and nodded, though the tilt of her head was more to hide her tinted cheeks. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Sango trying to suppress a smile. Oh, no, was she that obvious? Or did Sango just know her too well now?

Thankfully, Kazuma spoke and took Kagome from her thoughts. "Now what are we going to do?"

He glanced at Yusuke, but the boy only threw up his hands. "I'm outta ideas. She can't contact Koenma on her own. And who knows where Botan is right now. We can try again with Keiko when she's back from vacation, but who knows when _that_'ll be."

"Even if we do contact Koenma, there is no assurance that he could even do anything to assist us. Even if he could, it would take months to get the right calculations to open a time portal. It is very tricky business and can be disastrous if performed wrong," Kurama informed the rest as he seemed to be during a few calculations of his own while he spoke. "Perhaps he could expand the one Kagome already uses…"

Yusuke shook his head then abruptly kicked a tree, making Kagome jump back in surprise. It looked like it might have hurt, but he did not even shake it off. He turned and walked away while Kurama followed in an attempt to keep his companion out of more trouble. If the fox noticed Yusuke's slight limp, he said nothing.

Kagome's focus quickly changed to look at Kazuma instead. His face looked entirely crestfallen… until he noticed Kagome's gaze. Within moments, he was entirely composed once more and he gave her a half-hearted smile. As he turned away, Kagome caught his arm.

"You don't have to pretend with me. It's alright that you're hurting."

He gently removed himself from her grip and almost shook his head, but stopped when he realized what he was doing. "I don't know what you mean."

She merely held his eyes with her own until he was forced to look away. Then, to his utter surprise, she went on her tippy-toes and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. His cheeks warmed and words were lost to him, so Kagome left him to follow his friends as she went over to join Sango.

The demon slayer obviously saw, but did not mention it. She had something else in mind. "I learned some more about our strange new friends," she commented.

It caught her attention immediately. "Do tell."

"The reason they're here has to do with the death of a girl, someone close to Kuwabara… and Hiei." Sango added the second name as an afterthought. It was true, after all. Maybe Hiei wasn't close with her, but she knew he had to care about the girl somewhat. "I think that might be part of the reason the two of them can't get along."

Kagome nodded. "Kazuma did mention how he wanted to try and get someone back because she got hurt. But I never realized she _died_…"

That explained a lot, especially Kazuma's hopelessness. He was trying to bring someone back who was long gone. Trying to bring a person back from the dead was risky business.

"As long as we're sharing, I have a confession," Kagome said. "I really did meet Shizuru, Kazuma's sister. But… she didn't want to help. Actually, I couldn't even explain things to her, she wouldn't _listen_ to me. She kept saying how I shouldn't get mixed up with them and…" Kagome made a face. "But I wonder… Hiei doesn't seem the type to be close with anyone. I wonder how he knew the girl. Maybe Kuwabara had another sister? And Hiei had some attachment to her?"

As she pondered this, she gave Sango a sidelong glance. She was startled to see that her friend's face was almost carefully blank, trying not to reveal any of her thoughts. And was that a look of displeasure that flickered quickly over her face?

"Ah," Kagome began. "I remember something. Kuwabara was muttering a name constantly in his sleep one night."

"What was it?"

Kagome bit her bottom lip. "It was something like… Yuki…? No." She waved her hand as a gesture to dismiss what she just said. "It started with a Y, I know that much. Yuu?"

As Kagome shook her head, Sango gave her a pat on the back. "Don't strain yourself," she said with dry humor.

Kagome pouted and stuck her tongue out, but Sango missed it as she began walking toward the village. Kagome trailed behind until she had her moment of enlightenment.

"Yukina! Yeah, that was the name."

* * *

The demon exterminator paused as two young boys ran past her, laughing and chatting heartily as they dashed by and disappeared behind one of the hut. She felt a sense of wistfulness as she watched them, barely remembering a time when she had played like that. She had always been focused on her training and trying to be the best. She wanted to be worthy of her father, even if she happened to be girl. Her little brother, however, could almost always be found fooling around. 

The slight smile on Sango's face turned bittersweet and then altogether disappeared when she saw what one of the boys had dropped. She stooped down and picked up the discarded object with one hand while using the other to dust it off.

Her ears were met with the sound of crying and she followed it to its source. She had to shade her eyes from the setting sun to see a young girl in front of her home, sitting with her legs drawn up and crying into her arms. Sango knelt in front of her and gently gave her a nudge.

"Is this yours?" she asked the child.

The girl blinked opened eyes red from crying, though they immediately widened when they saw what Sango held. The child leapt forward and grabbed the doll from the slayer's hands while muttering an incoherent expression of gratitude.

Sango stiffened as the girl threw her arms around her, feeling more than a little awkward in the embrace, although nothing felt more uncomfortable than what happened next.

_Slayer_.

Her back straightened and she looked around, entirely alert and on-guard. However, she knew what was said had not been carried on the wind and heard by her ear.

"Hiei?" she said, though tentatively.

If the child heard, she showed no sign of it as she let go and scampered inside her house. Sango stood up quickly, her eyes darting around. She saw no sign of the demon. Had she just imagined it? She knew that had _not_ been her own thought just then and more than that, it had a voice, a voice not her own.

_Am I interrupting a heart-filled moment? _

She felt surprised, but not too much so. After all, they had told her that Hiei was capable of mind-speak. Not to mention, she had had a conversation through their minds before, though it was fuzzy in her memories since she had been half-asleep throughout it.

The hint of sarcasm in her voice did not go unnoticed. "Is there a reason you are violating my privacy, or was this just a friendly visit?"

She could not help but speak aloud as she responded. Otherwise, how would she know what thoughts he heard and what he did not? Or did everything she thought while their minds were connected get passed along to him?

_I can hear them all_. The words brushed across her mind, making her shiver.

Well, if that was true, she could keep her mind blank. It was one of the first lessons she had had to learn as a child before she began training.

_And how well do your lessons hold up if I provide a little pressure?_ he inquired.

A sudden force came against her mind so sudden and powerful that she physically staggered a few feet backward. She kept her balance though, and fought against his pressure. He pushed further; she pushed back as well as she could. She was not used to a demon in her mind, trying to control her, but it was not the first time. But she had to admit one thing; he was certainly a lot more powerful than any other demons who had tried to invade her mind.

An inkling of pain began and a headache exploded. There was just too much pressure on her mind. Yet she still fought back.

Then just as abruptly as it began, it was over and he had receded from her mind. Sango noticed for the first time that she had fallen to her knees sometime in the duration of his assault. She stood shakily.

_Mildly impressing. But barely enough to keep me out. You're very weak, girl._

She knew he only said it to get a rise out of her. She _knew_ it, yet could not keep her anger locked away. It flared, but she held her tongue. He was doing it again. He was angry at something and was using her as a handy outlet. She would not be used.

Sango gave him a mental push, but knew not how to keep him from commenting. When there was silence, she thought maybe he had left and was thankful for it.

When she was almost back to Kaede's hut, she heard his voice again.

_Who was that boy from before?_ he demanded to know.

Her steps faltered, though she quickly regained the pace. "No one."

He demanded for a second time to know, but she denied him the answer.

_Then you won't mind if I kill him._

Her blood ran cold. "What?"

_The boy's annoying me_, Hiei informed her while she growled back, "You wouldn't dare."

A scene suddenly flashed into her mind. Kohaku in front of her, running toward her. His weapon lashed out, though she easily avoided the blade. She quickly realized that the scene was what Hiei was seeing. It was what he was doing right at that moment.

She changed her course drastically and started running. She recognized where the two of them were and nothing could stop her from running there now.

Her feet were suddenly lifted off the ground as something went under her legs. Even though she recognized the feeling it still surprised her as Kirara suddenly went under her and took her onto her back. Sango gripped her companion's fur tightly as she whispered where to go.

Kirara tore through the air as Sango watched the grounded pass by rapidly under them. She saw the fight instantly from above and even as Kirara descended, she jump the last few feet and rolled so that her forearms took the brunt of the force as she fell.

"No, don't!"

She quickly dashed to Hiei and grabbed onto his arm before he could strike another blow—it would not have been a finishing blow, but it would have been enough to hurt him.

"Don't," she said more quietly.

Kohaku, who was sprawled out across the grass, took the time to jump up and run from his losing battle. Neither even tried to follow him. Hiei's body was taut, but he did not move his arm away even as she was latched onto it.

He glanced down at her. "Why?"

He already knew; she was sure of it. But he wanted to hear her say it out loud. Her grip on him loosened, but she did not let go.

"Because," she started.

Her voice took on a dejected tone.

"He's my brother."


	13. Attraction

**Redirection**

**Chapter Thirteen:**

**Attraction**

"_You owe _me_ your life fifty times over."_ _—Inuyasha_

* * *

The loneliness she felt while in the hut was most certainly odd, though it was probably because Sango was far too used to seeing it filled with people, especially as of late. The lack of her companions made the emptiness of it all the more potent. The room was always so alive with the conversations of the group. Yusuke's brash attitude, a certain rival for Inuyasha's, and his smart-alecky comments were the first thoughts that came to mind as she—dare she even think it—missed the satirical youth. Of course, they were probably the first thoughts because his arguing with either Kuwabara and Inuyasha and sometimes even Kagome were what really brought life to the small home. 

She chided herself for the forlorn feeling since it was her fault to begin with. After all, she had elected to stay behind. The others had gone off searching as was per usual. She was just unaccustomed to not participating in the hunt. Not for the first time, she mused over whether or not she should have gone, but she knew the four of them could do well enough on their own. Besides, Kuwabara could not have gotten far on his own.

"…_gone!"_

"_Who's gone? Did Hiei disappear again?"_

"_No, that damned Kuwabara! He—"_

That was what Sango and Hiei had heard as they arrived on the scene. Together. Had they noticed how curiously they appeared at the same time, the others might have wondered why and when the two had began what appeared to be friendly terms, but luckily they were too wound up in what Yusuke had brought their attention to, that another one of his companions had gone missing, to question it. No one had seen him since the afternoon, which meant he had taken off after he had learned of Kagome's failure to reach his sister.

Hiei openly expressed his opinion on the matter with minimal words, calling the boy a baka and the likes which earned him a disapproving look from Kurama. Inuyasha had had the face of someone who might have wanted to express similar sentiments, but caught himself when he noticed how Kagome chewed her bottom lip worriedly. It looked painful, the way he swallowed the insults, and he was clearly even more agonized as he told Kagome that they would go after him. He knew there was no way of talking her out of it. Smart hanyou. He finally learned something after all those "sit" commands.

He had flushed with embarrassment as Kagome grinned and assaulted him with bone-crushing hug. Kurama spoke up then.

"_I'd like to come too, if you don't mind."_

"_The more the merrier," was her reply. _

"_But I ain't carryin' you."_

In the end, Yusuke had gone too and Sango ended up sending Kirara with them after asking the neko permission for such a request. What was most curious about the situation was that none of the demons could sense Kuwabara. It was as if he left no trail.

The remaining had stayed behind to see if they could find any word of where he might be headed to, though Miroku and Shippo were no where in sight now, hence the loneliness. Of course, a fourth party member had stayed as well, though no one had expected him to participate in the search after the attempted castration.

Hiei… He was keeping something a secret… but they all were. The group only shared what little they had to and only intense prodding had gotten any of them to say more. What exactly had happened between them and this mysterious girl?

Sango heard a barely audible thud from the roof and instantly knew where to find the fire apparition that had been occupying her thoughts moments before. She wondered if she should be surprised or not that Hiei was occupying one of Inuyasha's favorite places, the roof of Kaede's home. It could have to do with the fact that they were both demons, but somehow she doubted it and classified the act as coincidental. It made the demon easy to find, however, and that was all that mattered to Sango.

She stood just far enough away so that she could see Hiei without craning her head. He stubbornly refused to acknowledge her presence even though he had sensed her despite the fact that she never said a word. His nonexistent patience did not last though and soon he was glaring down at the demon slayer. The fact that he gave in would have satisfied her more if the score had not been something along the lines of: Sango 3, Hiei 27. He was tricky enough to almost always end up with the upper hand.

"I've told you who the boy is to me," Sango reminded him. "Who was she to you?"

She did not have to clarify who "she" was. They both already knew that. But while he had in a way forced her to answer, she merely questioned him. It was not about revenge. She was helping them and so she deserved to know the details. She made the mistake once of going after Inuyasha because of what Naraku had said. She had not had the full story when it happened. Never again.

Hiei did not take kindly to her prying, which was evident by the sudden intensity of his gaze. For a moment he toyed with his katana, weighing the pros and cons of drawing the weapon. He decided the situation did not call for such a deed though and instead leapt down and began walking. She stayed where she was.

"A friend? Lover?"

The hostile look he sent her that time caused chills to run up and down her spine. But he had stopped walking. She took that as a positive thing.

"I heard that she died," she said. She could not help the sympathy that crept into her voice. Her words were soft and she wished that she could take them back and say them differently, knowing she herself would not have appreciated them as spoken.

She felt like someone had dumped cold water on her, that same icy feeling running through her body as Hiei went from fifteen feet in front of her to a measly two without sound or a hint of movement until it happened. She had no illusions this time when his hand was placed on the hilt of his sword. Before he had been playing with the idea of attacking, though not very seriously. One wrong step now and she would no doubt have a confrontation with the pointy end of his blade before she could draw her own.

Knowing that she was treading in dangerous waters, she continued anyway. "You've lost her," she said. "I understand that."

The conversation had taken a drastic turn rather quickly. And he hadn't even _talked_ at all. Already she had gone from attempting to find out information from him to relating to him. She wondered why she was even making an effort. Why try to understand the demon?

"You don't."

She started as he spoke, surprised. Well, she got him to say something. At least it was progress.

"I've lost my entire village, my family. I've lost my brother." Her voice held more emotion than she would have liked even when she tried specifically to keep it out of her voice.

"You have not lost him yet."

She looked away for a moment with hesitation. Then without knowing why, she went into a short explanation of what happened, though even the short explanation was lengthy. From her brother slaying the other demon exterminators, to all of Naraku's deceptions, and other odds and ends of her tragic story, the whole story was just pouring out of her.

And strangely enough, he seemed to actually _listen_. She had never talked about it out loud before, not in as much bulk and detail as she was now. And it felt… good. Expressing her anger, her hands clenching and her voice tight with rage, and her sorrow, her throat closing up as she denied the stinging in her eyes, it took away some of the impact of it, made the burden she carried with her lessen if only the smallest bit. Speaking of it made her come to terms with it on some level and made it easier to face. At some moments she even forgot he was there and just rambled on.

"He doesn't even know who I am now. Sometimes I think he might… but deep down, I don't think so," she said. "If he would remember…"

He had let her get her whole story out without an interruption, but now he interjected for the first time. It caused a strange feeling to flare within her. Though he had listened, it did not mean he cared or was at all interested. His commenting meant that he had and that produced the feeling.

"The memory of it would break him. He is fragile," Hiei told her. "Unlike you."

She opened her mouth to say something then closed it again as she gave him a quizzical look. A compliment? From Hiei?

He understood her train of thought. Or maybe he had been tuning in. "Hn, don't flatter yourself. Humans are fragile things, easily destroyed. Your body might be brittle, but your mind is not."

"I thought you said I was weak," Sango countered. Just earlier that night he had tested her by pressuring her mind and then had made a point of telling her she was weak. Now she had caught him in his lie.

But more than that, the unsaid compliments, both of them, made her feel quite good. Especially when she had a feeling he did not let such a thing slip often.

He met her eyes then turned away before altogether disappearing. It was only after he left that she realized he had gotten away without any of her questions answered.

That sneaky little…

* * *

The sun had only just set when they had begun their search and so the group of five had a very limited time to search before they were forced to stop for the night. It was pointless to search in the almost complete darkness and a few of them were growing weary. 

Yusuke easily fell asleep almost as soon as they landed despite the fact that the ground was hard, somewhat rocky, and downright uncomfortable. Kirara seemed to have no problem either, curled up next to the youth to effectively steal his warmth. Kagome sent them an envious look from her seat on the grass, her back resting against a log. Her gaze switched over to Inuyasha who was lying on a branch with the look of sleep about him, though one could never be sure with him. His eyes were closed though, so she could only assume that he was.

Kagome turned her attention to the pebble she was rolling between her index finger and thumb. She let it slide with expertise down her pointer finger and into the palm of her hand while keeping it from falling out.

"I wish I could have done more for you," Kagome admitted. She threw the pebble up into the air before catching it with her other hand. She gave Kurama, who was sitting beside her, a quick sidelong glance.

"You've done more than enough," Kurama responded. She was not convinced by his words though and she must have made a face because he continued. "You care about what happens to us, which is more than we could ask for."

She kept her gaze on the small object in her hand and his eyes dropped to look at it as well. When she let it just lie in her palm, he raised a hand and placed it lightly over hers. His touch was feather light and his skin was silky smooth. Warmth radiated off his hand and seeped into her own in a slow, but sure motion.

She stole a quick glance at him as a blush began creeping up her face, but he was looking at their touching hands, which brought her attention back to it. She gasped.

His hand was _glowing_ a soft golden color. She felt a pulse run between them and then he was pulling his hand away. And in her hand, instead of a pebble, lay a small blue flower. Kurama decided it was well worth it when he saw how Kagome's eyes lit up in wonder.

"…How?"

"It was a seed, and I have a certain way with plants."

She gave the flower an experimental turn and immediately took a liking to the small blue plant. Next to her, Kurama settled himself more comfortably against the log. His shoulder brushed against hers and she shifted in her spot, but did not break the contact.

She listened to her own steady breathing for awhile before she spoke again. "I was just thinking… back to that demon, the first time we met," she commented. "I guess I kinda owe you my life now."

"You owe _me_ your life fifty times over," she heard Inuyasha mutter from far off, not even bothering to crack an eye open.

She threw him a heated glare across their camp that he could not see, but she knew he felt it for he stirred slightly as though he were uncomfortable. Kagome smirked with satisfaction. Having that kind of power made her smile.

"It was nothing," Kurama told her. "You were in trouble and I happened to be there. I was happy to help."

"Ah, you know what, I never asked you. When you first arrived here, did you fall from the sky?"

He shook his head and his red locks moved because of it; she could feel a few strands as they brushed against her shoulder and arm. "I couldn't tell you. The first thing I remember is hitting water. I awoke when I broke the surface."

"I know Kazuma did, he fell right on top of Inuyasha. And Sango said she actually saw Yusuke falling…" Kagome began. Becoming conscious of her stiff body, she tried to ease the tension out and relax. "Speaking of Sango and Yusuke, when did those two get so friendly?"

She was rambling a bit, jumping from one topic to the next. Why? She felt a bit flustered. Why was she this nervous?

Kurama humored her, however, for he answered her question. "They get along well," he agreed. "Yusuke is someone who needs entertainment. Sango being a native to this era, she can keep him distracted long enough to keep him from becoming too bored."

"He makes her smile. I'm glad," she said. "Not many people can get her to truly smile."

The flower lay innocently in her palm and Kurama gently plucked it from her hand. He turned his body so that he was facing her, his eyes trained on the profile of her face. With one hand, he tucked her hair behind her ear.

"And who gets you to smile?" he murmured, his voice a mere whisper as he placed the flower behind her ear.

There came a rustling of cloth as Inuyasha turned on his side to face away from them. He called over his shoulder, "if you're gonna flirt, do it when everyone's asleep."

Kurama was entirely unfazed by the comment. His emerald eyes had never left her and he acted as though Inuyasha had never spoken.

Kagome wished she could do the same, but instead she became flustered. "Then go to sleep already!" she scolded before realizing what she had implied. "Ah, that's not to say I _want_ to—not that I don't… um…"

Yes, she was definitely a _very_ articulate person.

A snort of laughter came from Inuyasha. She turned her red face toward the hanyou, the word "sit" was on the tip of her tongue, but a touch from Kurama silenced the word and it was completely forgotten. His fingertips were pressed lightly against her cheek and he gave a gentle push so that she turned and faced him and only him.

Her eyes immediately met with emerald ones. She never noticed just how green they were before; they were so vibrant. Kagome realized just how close they were in that moment as he dropped his hand away. There were only a few inches between them. Her heart was pounding. It wouldn't take much to make the distance disappear altogether.

Her eyes flickered to his lips and quickly back up. Kurama never took his eyes off her; he must have seen how her eyes had moved and where she had focused on. Blood rushed to her face as a blush warmed her cheeks.

Without warning, Kagome jumped up and away. She stretched her arms above her head and darted her gaze elsewhere, though she knew Kurama had followed her every movement with his eyes.

"I think it's about time I go to bed. We'll have to get up early to find Kuwabara," she told him in a rush.

Kagome quickly spun around, went to her sleeping bag, and hastily climbed inside. She pulled the cover over her head so that she could hear only muffled sounds of what went on around her. And although she was lying down, it was a long while before she calmed her beating heart enough to actually fall asleep.

* * *

The blue-eyed monk sat outside in the peaceful night, his gaze focused on his right hand as he stared at his palm. How long he had been doing it, Miroku could not venture a guess. 

He heard footsteps approach him and saw from the corner of his eye the swaying of a familiar skirt as the girl moved closer. Her footsteps paused in front of him. "You worry about it too often."

Her voice was soft and very slightly reproving as she spoke. There was a pause before Sango slowly kneeled in front of him. Even quieter she asked, "What does it feel like?"

His eyes never left his palm. He flexed his hand ever so much, causing the cloth to rustle and the beads to clink together.

"Sometimes when I look at it, I can feel the emptiness. I just know that nothing is there and that feeling spreads throughout my whole body. Cold and empty."

She reached tentatively forward and closed his hand, causing his fingers to curl in and cover his palm. "Then don't look at it. You're anything but cold and empty."

Sango began to retract her hand, but he suddenly grabbed hold of her wrist when she tried to pull away. He turned her hand so that her palm was facing up and he started tracing his fingertips over her palm, tickling all her senses.

"If I did not have this curse…"

_I could love you_. Those were the words that he would not speak. Yes, they had tried a relationship… but Sango was so afraid of opening her heart to anyone again and Miroku dared not share his with any.

She tugged her hand away from his grip and he did not stop her. "Don't."

Sango began to stand, but before she could Miroku pulled her into a tight embrace. Her heart hammered against her chest as he wrapped his arms around her, one hand tangling in her hair. Her face was in the crook of his neck, her arms limp at her sides.

"You are so well guarded. I don't believe I could have reached you."

She attempted to shake her head, though all it did was tickle Miroku with her hair. "Stop," she muttered. She put her hands on his waist and tried to push away, but he held fast.

"Only… be careful who it is you open your heart to."

Her face reddened and she pushed herself away once again. His grip had loosened and she escaped him then and dared not to look back as she quickly left him where he was. She felt his solemn gaze on her until she was out of sight.

She had dealt with enough emotional stress that night. This day needed to come to a quick end and she became very intent on going to bed. She paused, however, when she overheard two villagers talking.

"…one is that?"

"One of the new boys that came with the priestess. The orange-haired one."

She stopped and turned to the two men. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but what about the boy?"

They looked at her in surprise, as though they had not known she was there at first. Then the taller of the two replied, "He asked me for directions earlier today. He was looking to get to the nearest village."

"Which village?" Sango asked quickly.

"Haruti to the south. It's the closest."

She thanked them and took her leave before she began searching the village for someone. Kagome and the others had gone in the wrong direction. Without a scent to follow, they had figured he would go the same way he and Yusuke had gone when they first arrived in hopes of picking up some sort of trail. She needed a way to tell the others where Kuwabara was really headed.

"Hiei," she called. "Hiei!"

She repeated his name another four times before he was abruptly standing in front of her. He gave her an ungrateful look.

"I need you to go and tell the others that they're going the wrong way," Sango told the demon.

"I'm not your pet."

"I'd do it myself, but I would never be able to catch up with them," she said. "You're the only one who can. It's too dangerous out there for Kuwabara to be on his own."

Even as she spoke the words, she knew they would not affect him in the least. He hated Kuwabara, why would he help him? But Kuwabara didn't understand just how brutal the feudal age could be. Hiei assistance could mean the difference between life and death.

Hiei merely turned his back to her and left. She should have known better than to ask a demon like him for help. Besides he had shown he had no interest in the fate of his companion, possibly all of them.

Falling back on her last hope, Sango whistled for Kirara, but already knew she would be too far away to hear. If worst came to worst, she would just track Kuwabara on her own in the morning.

* * *

She had acted rather foolishly the night before. 

That was what Kagome decided as she walked along with the others. Kirara had mysteriously disappeared during the night, forcing them to walk this time around. There had been no sign of a struggle though and Inuyasha mentioned he had seen her take off, he just didn't know why.

But back to foolish. Yes, that was what she had determined. She had acted so flustered when Kurama was simply being friendly. He had made no advances. He was just being kind when he tried to stop her from "sitting" Inuyasha. That was why he had touched her. He must have known it would silence her and keep her from inflicting pain on her half-demon friend. She had read too much into things and freaked out for nothing. Silly her.

Yusuke gave a low whistle as he glanced downward. "Now that is a _long_ way down."

Kagome looked down as well and almost wished she had the sense not to. It really _was_ a long way. They were heading over a narrow, rocky cliff, high above the ground that lay below. So narrow in fact, that they each walked one at a time, just to be cautious since technically two would be able to walk abreast.

As Kagome looked, however, her eyes caught sight of something else. It was juvenile, but when it came to mind, she questioned, "What runs but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, and has a bed but never sleeps?"

Yusuke did not look interested and Inuyasha just looked stumped. A half-smile tugged at her lips.

From behind her, the answer came. "A river."

"Ding, ding, ding! We have our winner," Kagome said as she threw Kurama a look over her shoulder. She then pointed and sure enough way below them, there was a river.

"What does he win?" Yusuke asked dryly.

"Why, a fabulous view of the river from above, of course," Kagome replied.

"That's a crappy prize. Remind me never to go on your game show."

He gave her a look and in reply she stuck her tongue out at him and made a face. However, because of it, she became distracted and failed to look where she was going. She took a wrong step far too close to the edge and the rocky ground crumbled underneath her foot. Her arms flailed as she lost her balance, looking for anything to hold onto, while her foot tried to take a step that was not there.

Her feet met only air and before she knew what was happening… she was falling.


	14. Thief

**Redirection**

**Chapter Fourteen:**

**Thief**

"_Don't agree with them!" —Inuyasha_

* * *

Her arms flailed out to grab something, _anything_, but merely grasped intangible air. Her foot searched for solid ground, but it only met with the edge that crumbled beneath her weight and sent her sliding backward. She didn't even think to scream. 

And as Kagome's whole body met no resistance and her stomach dropped like a rock to her feet, she knew she was falling.

Something grabbed her—red hair flying into her face, a body pressed close to hers—but there was no salvation, for she was plunging downward still and her would-be rescuer shared her fate. Together, the two fell a few feet as Kurama, who she somewhere in her mind recognized, wrapped his arms tightly around her and braced himself for the first impact.

The fall seemed like an eternity, yet passed in the blink of an eye. Kagome felt the aftershock as Kurama hit the side of the cliff first. She was pressed so very close to him that the moment they hit they might as well have been one entity. His head jerked forward in that instant and clunked against hers, stunning her and causing a dizzying effect that only heightened as the two of them rolled down the sharply inclined slope.

Branches and thorns tore and broke their skin as they tumbled; rocks, pebbles, and the jagged terrain bruised their flesh. Her body, tangled with Kurama's, left a few spaces of undamaged and unmarked where his body took the beating in her place. Nonetheless, each time they turned, Kagome's head slammed against the ground and pain exploded in her head, intensifying each time it connected. Her sense of her surrounding diminished to near nothingness in the process and her only instinct was to try and keep her head up each time the two flipped positions for that tenth of a second, but nothing could stop it from banging against the rocky earth once again.

Sweet relief finally came as her face was pressed into his chest as something—his arm—wrapped around her head and kept it firmly in place. Dimly, she was aware of a warm, sticky goo oozing down the back of her neck and knew not whether it came from her or him or what it even was.

Suddenly, the rolling abruptly stopped, and Kagome felt completely weightless; she lost feeling of everything except her head as the pain kept her tied to reality without fail. Then a crash, dull pain all over her, and not moments later, knives of ice, that burned unbearably, stabbed her everywhere. They slid inside her every wound, her every hurt, a fire spreading wildly. She knew no other way to rid herself of it than to scream, long and hard. Scream and hope the pain would vanish as the air escaped her in one fell swoop. But when she opened her mouth, she was immediately suffocated as her body was invaded by a chilly substance pouring down her throat.

The river. They had fallen into the river.

She choked on the water she had swallowed—gagged, over and over again and it only got worse with time as more of the icy liquid poured down her throat. She kicked for the surface, but knew not where she was heading or if she was going up or further down. The rapids pushed at her, spun her all around and left her disoriented.

Her legs and arms flailed frantically, and it was only then that she discovered her companion missing from her grasp, and Kagome had no notion of when he slipped away. She spared only a second thinking of it, before every cell in her body screamed for the air it needed to survive.

Her strength drained away. Her limbs could do nothing to fight against the strong current and as she was pushed further away, she knew she was sinking deeper and deeper…

Eyes she was not even aware she closed opened, but all she noticed in the dark waters was a flash of two golden orbs.

…Inuyasha?

* * *

"Kagome!" 

The yell came from the hanyou beside him with an ease and intensity that left Yusuke with little doubt that he had cried out her name just that way various times before. The cry itself was useless though, for by the time it died from his lips and Inuyasha registered what was happening, Kagome and Kurama were already halfway through their descent.

Yusuke watched as Inuyasha jumped down from the cliff, his bare feet skidding across the rocky slope to slow him for the instant he landed, then he was in the air again, quickly making his way down. Yusuke followed him at a slower pace with the intention of not repeating Kagome and Kurama's actions. His bare arms scraped across the side as he made his gradual descent, but it was nothing he could not handle, especially compared to Inuyasha. He didn't envy the abuse the half-demon's feet were getting because of his lack of footwear.

Yusuke heard a splash that tore his gaze away from his progress, looking just in time to see the last of the ripples his companions made after falling into the water. He quickened his pace downward, sliding more than climbing down, and kept an eye on the river, waiting for either of them to break the surface. Neither of them did, though something else entirely caught his eye.

The Spirit Detective squinted as he saw the long shadow lurking underneath the water's surface. He wasn't even sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him until he saw a few scales peak out from the water, skimming the top.

Yusuke let out a few choice words before he yelled over to Inuyasha, "There's something down there!"

He reached out, grabbing a small, bare bush to steady himself with one hand and aimed at the water with the other. Just as the tip of his finger began glowing a familiar blue color, Inuyasha snapped at him.

"What're you, an idiot? You might hit them!"

Hating the fact that his words were true, Yusuke stopped the attack, though threw Inuyasha a dirty look for good measure. He doubted the hanyou noticed, though, since he was mid-leap, jumping from the slope to the edge of the bank below, quite a distance down. Yusuke slid a few more feet, then jumped and landed more clumsily, though not entirely without grace.

Inuyasha was already running downriver and Yusuke set off after him, both their eyes peeled on the water. Most disturbingly, neither of their comrades had surfaced from the water yet, leaving an inkling of anxiousness in Yusuke. For a moment, he thought his worry was for nothing as the water near him shifted unusually, but it was something _else_ that lifted out of the water.

The demon's head and long scaly neck were all he could see before it dashed forward, slicing through the water and traveling with the current, moving twice as fast as either of them. Then it paused for a moment's time as its eyes narrowed. Then its mouth began to salivate, and it dove back under, disappearing from sight.

"That's gotta be where they are," Inuyasha said, more to himself than Yusuke.

A few tense moments passed where neither the demon nor their friends were seen. He noticed Inuyasha's legs tense and Yusuke knew he was going to jump for it and dive right into the river. Before he could though, something else happened that stopped him.

Another object burst out of the water and straight into the air, spraying the two with droplets of water. Yusuke shaded his eyes and squinted to try and make out what it was, but the human-shaped thing had sprung out right in front of the sun, obscuring it from his vision.

But as it landed gracefully on the bank nearby, Yusuke felt a wry half-smile appear on his face as he recognized the demon.

* * *

Inuyasha was not amused. At _all_. 

What was this, a look-alike contest? The unfamiliar demon's features were eerily similar to Inuyasha's own. Sure, he was a _little_ taller and possessed a tail Inuyasha did not (which he was decidedly grateful for because who would want a ridiculous looking fluffy tail like that when it served no purpose?) but the rest of him, from his white ears resting on top silver hair to his golden eyes, were all alike. Using his keen sense of smell though, he could tell that the demon was no dog. No, he smelt distinctly of kitsune.

The fox glanced at him with equal disapproval, but only for a moment before he ignored his presence altogether, as though he existence meant nothing to him. He then released Kagome from his arms and let her drop to the ground. His eyes, cold and calculating, watched unblinkingly as Inuyasha rushed forward to check on the girl at his feet.

The hanyou knelt beside her and prodded her gently, but she did not respond to his attention. A worried frown tugged at his lips, and he nudged her again, but not so much as a moan came from her. Her eyes remained closed, and she did not move. Droplets of water mixed with blood slipped silently down her skin to the ground below. Wounds, varying in size from microscopic to a few inches wide, littered her entire body.

An icy feeling ran through him. Was she dead?

"She's not breathing!" Inuyasha barked out as he glanced up at the kitsune youkai. He merely stared back, not an inkling of sympathy in him.

A loud sound from behind him caused Inuyasha to whip around in time to see the massive demon rise above the surface. Inuyasha raised a clawed hand, ready, eyes flashing, as it darted its head forward toward them. Before it could move more than a few feet, the fox demon turned partially toward it and thick pieces of algae shot up from the water without warning. They snapped forward and wound their way around the demon, around its snout, long neck, and various other parts of its body, anchoring it down. Not only did it constrain it, but the demon was suddenly forced back down into the depths.

Inuyasha heard movement and glanced to see Yusuke kneel beside him. The boy picked up her wrist and his thumb moved clumsily around for a few moments before it finally settled in one spot.

"She's got a pulse. Weak though," he said. He glanced at Inuyasha, who stared back blankly. "She musta swallowed some water. She needs CPR."

"What the hell is that?" Inuyasha snapped, his irritation slipping into his voice. The longer they sat around and did nothing, the worse the situation got for Kagome. He knew that much.

Yusuke pushed him aside with some effort since Inuyasha was keen on staying by her side. In the end, he did allow the punk to move closer as he slid slightly back. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed on Yusuke, who looked distinctly uncomfortable as he tilted Kagome's head back and pressed his thumb against her chin to part her lips.

"Ya know, I'd usually get slapped for trying something like this," he muttered.

As he leaned down and closer to Kagome, Inuyasha grabbed his shirt and yanked him roughly backward. His eyes were ablaze.

"What the hell do you think you're doin'?"

Yusuke fixed him with a glare of his own. "I'm saving her life."

And without further constraint, Yusuke pressed his lips awkwardly against hers as heat rushed to his face. He let the air leave his lung and course into her body until he had no more breath; then he pulled back and collected more air and repeated the process. No response.

"Damn it, girl, breathe," Yusuke muttered.

He lifted himself up and moved back as he placed the bottom of his palm on her chest. Silently hoping he would not crack a rib or anything of the sort, Yusuke pressed down gently, yet firmly.

Nothing came of it.

* * *

"Down there." 

Sango turned her gaze to follow the direction of Miroku's gesture. With a nod, she nudged Kirara toward the others below and they began their quick descent. Her brow furrowed as they got closer and noticed Kagome was lying upon the ground with Yusuke and Inuyasha beside her.

Once Kirara touched the ground, Sango was off her in a second and quickly made her way toward the others with Miroku not too far behind. She froze in confusion when she saw Yusuke press his mouth against hers, but shook it off and crossed the last bit of distance.

Yusuke looked up in surprise when Sango knelt on the other side of Kagome and his face flushed. Before he could speak, she did first.

"How is she?"

"Not good. She took a fall into the river and probably swallowed some water. She's not breathing."

Her eyes flitted over the damage then back up to Yusuke. She spoke quickly since time was precious.

"Do you know what you're doing?"

"…Kinda." When she fixed him with a look, he said, "I've seen it in the movies."

"Sango, perhaps you or I should—" Miroku began.

"I'd trust myself over you," she cut in. Hurt flickered over the monk's face, but he kept his silence.

"You?" Yusuke questioned. "But you and Kagome, you're both—never mind, the breathing part I can do. Pump her chest for me, I don't want to break anything."

"You guys are wasting time, just do it," Inuyasha said angrily.

Working together and alternating between breathing and pumping, they got a reaction out of Kagome. Water dribbled out of her mouth before she began coughing and sputtering violently, turning on her side as the liquid escaped from her lips. When the last of the water left and her coughing subsided, she let out a continuous moan.

"Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked before the others could.

There was a momentary lapse before she responded. "…Peachy. Did someone run me over with a bus?"

Yusuke let out a short laugh. "Yeah, I did. Sorry 'bout that. My bad."

"I knew it. Shame on you," she accused weakly.

Kagome rolled herself over to her original position, which tore a cry from her. Inuyasha was there instantly, helping her to sit up, but his hand on her back made her wince and caused her to bite her lip to keep from crying out once again. Her back felt like one giant open wound. She could feel the blood dripping down from one cut only to slide through another and cause her more pain. Kagome tried to ignore the prickling tears that came to her eyes.

Her vision wasn't even all hers. Dark spots were intent on eating it away from her. The back of her head felt like someone tried to play Whack-a-mole on it—successfully, too, with top score quality.

At least her front was in better shape, not a scratch on her, though probably a bruise or two. No broken bones, either, which she no doubt had Kurama to thank for.

"Kurama!" she exclaimed, her gaze darting around. "Is he okay? Where is he?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "Dunno. And where'd that body-stealer go?"

"That 'body-stealer' is Youko," Yusuke said. He glanced about him as though he, too, didn't know when or where the demon disappeared. "And Youko _is_ Kurama."

"What happened?" Kagome asked in all her confusion.

"Kurama is actually a fox demon. He must have passed out or something, because he changed into his original form and saved you," Yusuke replied, directing his comment toward Kagome.

"Well, that explains it," Sango said. "We saw a demon moving swiftly on the way here. I thought it was him at first," she gestured toward Inuyasha, "but the description didn't quite fit."

"And he looked like Inuyasha?" Kagome questioned.

"Except taller… and more graceful," Sango told her.

"Stronger, faster, better-looking overall," Yusuke chipped in, though the last one earned him an amused look from Sango. "What? Just saying."

"Hey!" Inuyasha snapped, visibly annoyed.

"Yes," Miroku said with a nod of his head, clearly agreeing with Yusuke and the others.

"Stop talking 'bout me like I'm not here!" Inuyasha growled, then turned to Miroku. "And don't agree with them!"

The hanyou raised one clawed hand that turned into a fist and shook it at them. Kagome smiled at the display and gave a laugh that she immediately regretted when it made her wince.

"At least I don't have some girly tail," Inuyasha muttered to himself.

"We were only joking," Miroku said, as he held up his hands in a peaceful gesture.

Yusuke raised his hand to draw attention. "I wasn't."

As Inuyasha glared at the boy and shot back a retort, Kagome reached a hand up to her head in an attempt to suppress a headache that was screaming for attention. As she withdrew her hand, her eye caught a flash of metal on the ground. She picked up the thin piece and recognized it as her necklace.

The necklace the jewel should have been on.

_Damn._

"Uh, guys…." she spoke, raising her voice as much as she could manage to be heard over Inuyasha and Yusuke's bickering. "The jewel is gone."

The rest of their gazes darted to the broken piece of jewelry she held, but Kagome was gazing at Yusuke.

"…I should probably also mention Youko's a thief," he said.

Inuyasha shot him an unfriendly look. "That information would have been much more useful _five minutes ago_."


	15. Hope

**Redirection**

**Chapter Fifteen:**

**Hope**

"_Can you not feel its power?" —Youko Kurama_

**

* * *

**

"Whatever those shards are, they gotta be valuable if Youko's after 'em."

Kagome was about to in agreement but thought better of it. No need to cause herself more pain when her voice worked just fine. "Yeah, they are."

She did not elaborate, knowing that Inuyasha wouldn't appreciate it. Not that he was paying much attention anyway. His gaze was fixated in the direction they suspected Youko went. His fingers curled into a fist at his side then relaxed before he repeated the action again.

"Go," she said. Inuyasha started when she spoke and darted his gaze her way. "I'll be fine." She mustered up a smile and did her best not to let it drop into a grimace. She even managed to sit up on her own to prove the point. "Just… promise not to hurt him."

Kagome held his gaze to stress the importance of that last bit. Inuyasha had held little to no love for Kurama to begin with, and now that he had stolen from them, she doubted he'd use friendly means to retrieve what was theirs.

Finally, Inuyasha conceded and gave a little nod of his head. He darted off without another word. Kagome waited until he was out of sight before she let her fatigue show. Her energy was zapped and she let her body drop to the ground again, even knowing the consequence of that action would probably make her scream. Yusuke caught her before she could drop onto the ground, and she would have been grateful if not for that fact that the arm that he wrapped around her back caused her pain. She let out a yell, and a few tears leaked from her eyes.

"Kagome, what happened?" Miroku asked.

Her vision was blurry. It took more than a moment to focus on the speaker. "The cliff decided it wanted to beat me up, just for fun," she replied. Her voice was lower than usual and she was sure her hurt was obvious in it. "Note to self: Cliffs are evil."

"At least the cliff didn't beat your sense of humor out of you," Yusuke said as he eased her gently onto the dirt.

"Ha ha," she said with little mirth. "You're _hilarious_. You should do stand-up comedy, really."

"Been telling them that for years but, nooo, they—"

Sango interrupted the two. "Turn over so we can survey the damage," she instructed.

Kagome had learned there was no sense arguing with Sango when she used that tone of voice, though she had to bite back a 'yes, mom' that would have undoubtedly earned her a less than appreciative look. With Yusuke's help, Kagome rolled slowly onto her stomach, letting the three inspect her back. She heard one of them take a sharp breath but didn't know which one made the sound.

"So it looks as bad as it feels then?"

"Believe me when I say it's bad. Actually, bad isn't a strong enough word for it. Your back… it's completely blood-covered."

That sounded absolutely _wonderful_. "Coming from you, Sango, that can't be good. It feels like… thousands of tiny men are stabbing me with itty-bitty knives."

"I see your pain is making you more imaginative than usual," Miroku chimed in.

"When you say tiny men, do you mean midgets? 'Cause I hear they can be vicious."

Even if she had not recognized his voice, the comment could only have come from Yusuke. It took her longer than it should have to respond, though, and even then she didn't know if her voice was anything more than a mutter. "_Magical_ midgets."

Although not always known for her smarts (how many tests had she failed this year?), Kagome was in no way stupid. She knew they were trying to distract her from the pain, but its intensity demanded much of her attention. Each of her responses came slowly, as words were hard for her to come by. However, she was able to think past the throbbing headache that seemed to shake her whole head, but ever since she regained consciousness after nearly drowning, her pain had gotten worse instead of receding.

Kagome bit her lip to distract herself, but it did no good. She let out a whimper. "This hurts… too much." Her arms trembled as she attempted to push herself up. Miroku and Yusuke each grabbed an arm to help her sit on her knees. "I'm going to heal myself."

Sango's arm was suddenly there, tight on her arm, before Kagome knew what was happening. "You'll kill yourself if you try that! It takes a good deal of strength out of you when you're perfectly healthy. In this condition, you'd die!"

Kagome hesitated then. She didn't even want to mention it out loud. She knew all too well what the risks were, but her mind was cloudy and Kagome spoke the words before she fully comprehended what it was she was about to say.

"I could… borrow energy."

When Kagome dared to look at Sango, she saw that the taijiya was frowning. Then her gaze settled on Yusuke. As far as options went, he was the best one since he possessed the most power.

Sango followed her gaze. Firmly, she said, "No."

"Just a tiny bit. Only enough to get my head to stop aching. I know it's risky…."

"Risky? Do you remember what happened last time?" she asked.

Yusuke glanced skeptically from one girl to the other. He must have known he was somehow involved in their discussion, though Kagome doubted he knew he was the center of it yet.

"What? What happened last time?" he asked

"Kaede was in the process of teaching her a skill, one to take energy from other living beings and transfer it into herself, or the opposite to heal. While Kagome has done well with healing others by using her own energy, she has yet to master the taking of power. Kaede first had Kagome test the transfer out on a few plants," Miroku informed him. "They all wilted."

"_Wilted_? And she wants me to—" Yusuke cut off and started again with, "Oh, no. Count me out of this."

"That was only because I was new at the time!" Kagome protested.

"Actually," Sango began, "that wasn't the time I was referring to. I was thinking of the mice."

Kagome fidgeted with the end of her tattered skirt as though it were suddenly very interesting. _Oh, look, a loose thread…_. She felt Yusuke's suspicious gaze on her, but didn't look up.

"What happened to the mice?" he asked her. "Don't tell me you killed them _all_."

Her gaze darted upward as Kagome defended herself and her ability. "No! I managed to take just a little from each."

And it had worked pretty well, too, she remembered. Well, at least it had started out that way….

Yusuke gave her an incredulous look that only worsened when Sango added, "though one of them died."

"_Only_ one…."

"Kagome, you cried," Miroku reminded her gently.

"It was sad!" she insisted.

"Oh, and are you going to be sad when you kill _me_ too?" Yusuke asked. He stood up and all Kagome could do was follow him with her eyes. "Nuh-uh, count me outta this little adventure."

"They were mice!" Kagome exclaimed. She fixed the ex-spirit detective with a sly look. "Or are you saying you don't have any more energy than four _little_ mice combined?"

She had trouble meeting the hard glare he sent her and not only because of her faulty vision. He didn't hold anything back, did he? She could see everything in his eyes, even if she couldn't put a name to all of it. She wasn't the best at reading other people, but the intensity that she saw was a force worth reckoning.

Kagome left herself open for observation as a response. Not that she was ever very good at concealing her emotions in the first place. Her desperation, her pain, her worry, she let him see it in its entirety.

After what was probably minutes, he bit out a "fine!" and plopped himself in front of Kagome. A kind smile was on her lips, thanks filled her eyes, but not all the fear disappeared. Could she really do this without hurting Yusuke?

…Yes. Yes, she believed she could.

Sango and Miroku raised their protests, but it was like background noise to her. She focused on Yusuke's face. And although he didn't look entirely convinced by any of it, she noticed something that touched her. Trust—there was trust there. Not a lot, but enough. She doubted even Yusuke realized it. But how else could he let her, Kagome, someone who was still practically a stranger to him, literally take some of his energy, his _life_, into her hands?

Or perhaps she was reading him all wrong. Maybe he just thought he was strong enough to bear this transference of energy and didn't understand exactly what it required. She wasn't entirely sure and thought it best to not ask.

Normally, she would not dare to do something so hazardous, never put anyone in harm's way if she could help it, but her mind was far from normal now. She felt she could do this.

No, she _knew_ she could do it. Her doubts of her own ability before seemed silly to her, now. She had been taking energy from living things that didn't have much to give to begin with. A person, especially someone as strong as Yusuke, wouldn't be affected to the extent of the plants and mice she had originally practiced extracting energy from.

Of course, she needed much more energy at the moment than she had during those trials….

By his movements, Kagome could tell Yusuke was wary, but when she held both her hands out, palm up, and prompted him to place his on top, he did so without protest. He tensed but it was fleeting, and she continued, wrapping her thumbs around them so she was holding his hands in hers.

Her eyes fluttered closed. Sango and Miroku's voices faded. The gentle lap and flow of the river did, too. In fact, all the sound around her stopped as far as Kagome was concerned. She pictured Yusuke in her mind, and there he was, sitting in front of her.

She felt herself draw away and it was like she was floating outside her body, watching the scene below. She saw herself sitting in a sea of darkness, holding onto Yusuke. Her body was covered in a soft pink cue, a calm and soothing river flowing across her skin. It flickered a small amount in certain spots because of her weakened state, but it was still strong overall despite it.

Yusuke's was in direct contrast to her. His spirit was _alive_, a blue flame lashing out because there was just so much power, and it wanted to be used, wanted to strike and consume. It licked at her wrists, testing her own quiet, serene power.

Kagome welcomed it into herself. She tried to pull at small threads of it, using it to heal where she most needed the damage repaired, but it crashed into her full force and she was left gasping and struggling—whether audibly or not, she didn't know.

Control. She was losing it. It all wanted to spill into her, and she couldn't contain all that power, nor could she let herself take everything away from Yusuke. She tried to push it back, but it wouldn't _go_ and her own power suddenly came alive, turning a deep red color and rising like flames off of _her, _now. And she couldn't stop it, it didn't want to be stopped, and she was going to lose control, bring both of them down, down, down, because it was all just way too much for someone as inexperienced as her to handle and—

Another foreign power was suddenly there and Kagome was anchored down. Her senses returned to her, and she gave a solid _push_, sending a good deal of the energy hurtling back into Yusuke and severing the contact with an abruptness that made her dizzy.

She couldn't remember opening her eyes. Yet there she was now, staring upward at the sky, gray and darkening. It was a fitting color, she thought dimly. Then there were hands on her, helping her sit up (when had she fallen onto her back?), and she, with a dazed expression, gazed at Yusuke and Sango across from her, the taijiya assisting Yusuke as Miroku had done for her.

Yusuke looked just as out of it as she felt. He didn't even notice the hand Sango had on his shoulder to steady him. He repeatedly shook his head as though trying to get rid of the fogginess he must have felt, too, and Kagome thought it was a brilliant idea, but when she tried it, her head merely lolled to one side and then the other.

"Fuck," was all Yusuke had to say.

Yep, that pretty much summed it up. At least her head wasn't pounding anymore. In fact, all her pain was completely gone, though she was still finding it hard to form a sentence.

"Wha… What happened?" she asked.

"You were screaming, Kagome," Sango told her.

She was? Odd. She didn't remember screaming. "It was going well at first, but then…." Kagome frowned as she tried to recall. Then it came back to her, crashing into her, and she was suddenly sitting up straight, fully alert, and feeling nauseous at what she had almost done. "It was like a big wave rolling over me. Too much."

"Something grabbed me," Yusuke added. He, too, looked more aware, but not as alarmed as she.

"Sango grabbed onto both of you," Miroku informed them. He eyed Sango with a look that Kagome couldn't decipher. "Quite a risky move."

Curiously enough, Sango didn't look his way. In fact, she avoided all of their gazes and instead turned her attention to her neko companion, using one hand to scratch Kirara behind the ear. But even Kirara's gaze must have been penetrating because she looked away from her, too.

"…Why?" Yusuke finally inquired.

She started when he asked, and an embarrassed flush crept up her face. "I thought… that maybe with a second person to take energy from, it would be less dangerous."

"It helped. Thank you," Kagome told her sincerely. Her next statement was directed at Yusuke, though she couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. "Are you okay?"

He stood, despite verbal protest from Sango, and stretched his arms behind his head. "A little tired, nothing major."

Kagome lowered her eyes. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"Tch, you should be. That damn Indian-style sitting really cramped my legs."

He didn't realize how close she had been to killing them both. It both relieved her and left her with a great deal of guilt.

"Are you alright, Kagome?" Miroku asked her.

She gave him a tentative smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah. I think I'm all healed up, hundred percent. Even all the little cuts and—_eek_!"

She let out a squeak and jumped to her feet when she felt the wandering hand grope her ass. Glowering, she turned to face Miroku as he stood up, his hands held up in a peaceful gesture.

"Kagome! I was merely testing to be positive you were—"

A sound slap on the cheek shut him right up. Miroku rubbed his scolded cheek with a dramatic sigh.

She readied a retort, but stopped abruptly when she felt that familiar feeling tingling in the back of her head. A jewel shard.

_Kurama_. Or, she supposed, technically it was Youko. But he was still the same person… right? He had saved her, after all, even if he had taken her jewel shards with him directly afterwards.

"What's wrong, Kagome?"

It was Sango who asked, but she didn't sound entirely friendly. In fact, the demon slayer sounded like she was upset with her. Kagome inwardly winced. Maybe Yusuke didn't understand what happened, but Sango surely did. Kagome got the feeling that not only was Sango angry with her, but disappointed as well.

"I feel the shards still," she said. "I think Kur—Youko might still be close by."

She chewed her bottom lip nervously. She regretted letting Inuyasha go now. He might have agreed with her to not harm their jewel thief, but that didn't actually mean he would _listen_ to her. In fact, it seemed more than likely that he wouldn't.

"Take Kirara and go, Kagome."

It shouldn't have hurt her, what Sango had said, but it did. Was she really so mad that she was trying to get rid of her? Or was she just reading too much into it?

"Stop Inuyasha before he does anything rash," the demon exterminator continued. "We'll continue the search for Kuwabara."

Kagome peered almost timidly at Sango, but her face was impassive. She felt a need to patch things up with her, but she doubted her presence right now would help that. Nothing she could say would change it, anyway; she just needed to give Sango time to get over it. Besides, she had more pressing matters to attend to.

So with a slight nod, Kagome took the offer and went off in search of Youko and Inuyasha. Her feelings of guilt were stronger than ever.

**

* * *

**

Such an unusual little thing, the jewel was. So small, yet so much power. Of course, he noticed with a slight frown as he turned it over in his hand, it was not as complete as it should have been.

Youko had heard of the Shikon no Tama before but had never had the pleasure of holding it in his grasp. Despite its obviously fractured state, Youko was not impressed; nor would he have been even if it were whole. As far as he was concerned, the jewel was over-hyped.

Yes, it could grant power to the user; he knew this for certain. But the holder of it was never truly the one in control. The jewel, although pure in appearance, had a way of tainting youkai, even the most harmless and peaceful among them. It turned them into greedy, vile things until another seeking the power came and struck them down. Then, they were tainted themselves, and the cycle continued.

Quite frankly, it was much more trouble than it was worth.

Youko's lips curled unpleasantly when he felt the presence nearby. He had been expecting him. In fact, he had thought for sure he would get there sooner. How disappointing.

He didn't look up when the young hybrid demon dropped into the clearing alongside him. The youkai fixed him with a critical stare that Youko paid no mind to. "So you've taken on your kitsune appearance. Things must be serious."

"Not quite, Jaganshi."

Although it was subtle, Hiei's eyes did in fact widen. Yes, now he understood that it was not Shuichi—or he supposed this demon knew him by the name 'Kurama'—he was speaking with. Shuichi had fallen into unconsciousness and now slept within their mind.

The demon didn't question him even though Youko sensed that he wanted to know what had occurred to make him take full control. He wasn't in the mood to indulge him and so carried on with his own agenda.

"A curious thing, isn't it?"

Youko was, of course, referring to the jewel in his hand. He held it up in just the right way so that the light reflected off of it and made it sparkle, though shadows clung to its corners where the jagged edges were present. Then in a careless motion, he tossed the thing Hiei's way.

The demon caught it on instinct and looked blankly down at the broken object in his hand. He seemed even less interested in it than Youko himself.

"What is it?" he questioned.

Youko eyed him with a cool look. "I'm disappointed by your lack of knowledge. You don't know your history."

He had made him feel like a child, he could tell that from Hiei's face. It obviously irritated him, for his reply was snappy. "Not everyone is as old as you." He flung it back unceremoniously. "Besides, I have no interest in useless trinkets."

Youko's tail twitched with annoyance. He was quickly losing his patience with this young one. The hybrid was a creature of anger and loathing (some of it self-oriented), who acted rashly and violently without enough thought process behind it. How Shuichi could stand him for their lengthy partnership, Youko did not know.

"Can you not feel its power?" the kitsune asked. His hand tightened on the jewel. "Merely a fragment, yes, but of something much greater. The completed Shikon no Tama gives much power to its holder. And if they desire it, it would grant the user one wish."

The last part visibly sparked an interest in Hiei, just as Youko knew it would. Nonetheless, the hybrid proceeded with caution. Maybe there was hope for him yet.

"Why are you telling me this?" Hiei asked, eyeing him with suspicion. "Why don't you use it?"

"I have no need to enhance my abilities. The jewel is of no use to me," Youko replied. He felt a light pressure in the back of his mind, and his irritation grew. "I won't have control for much longer."

He wanted to stay and learn more about this jewel, question Youko, and demand answers to his inquiries. Youko could read it all too clearly in the demon's face. But just as Youko's acute sense of smell picked up one—no, two scents—that were familiar to him, Hiei sent a brief glare in the direction of the two intruders and vanished before they could appeared.

How typical of him.

Hiei's exit was not a moment too soon. The neko youkai came into view, carrying the miko, and no sooner did the demon's feet touch the ground, then the girl slid off her back. Youko did not so much as bat an eyelash before thick vines sprung from the earth and captured the demon before she could take another step. They curled around her limbs and neck, tying her down until she could no longer struggle, and even her loud yowls of protest were silenced.

The girl rushed to the demon's aid, but her bare hands could do nothing to loosen the restraints.

"That won't accomplish anything," he informed her.

She turned back to him, and realization dawned on her face as she finally understood that _he_ was the cause of her companion's imprisonment.

Her face was one of indignation. "Let her go!"

Her boldness was not an amusing thing; it irked him. "Do you think you are in a position to make demands?" he asked her in an icy tone.

The steps he took forward were meant to intimidate, but he was not pleased with the outcome. She took only one hesitant step back when he first approached but then firmly held her ground. And as though she was _trying_ to go against him and most certainly had some sort of death wish, she demanded to know, "Why did you take the jewel?"

She still thought that he was Shuichi. It made him want to smirk at her stupidity. She was not afraid of him because of it (though he was certain saving her had not helped. Why had he done that again?) and therefore he had to prove to her otherwise.

Youko had her by the throat with her back slammed against a tree before she could take her next breath. She choked on the air in her lungs, and the task of breathing was made no easier with the way Youko held her neck tightly. The girl coughed and gagged, and when she quieted, she met his golden eyes with the light of understanding in her own.

"Change back into Kurama," she rasped.

His claws bit into her skin. She squirmed, but did not cry out. How dissatisfying. "I _am_ Kurama."

With his other hand, he showed her the fragment. "I believe this is what you're looking for?" And then rather cryptically, he continued, "Or perhaps… you should look within?"

He laid a hand on her stomach in what was an almost light touch, though Kagome couldn't possibly imagine the creature in front of her performing such a gentle act. But he was, and a soft gasp escaped her because of it. Then, he was pushing harder, and the pit of her stomach was tingling with a pleasant feeling that made her face darken with an intense blush. She flattened herself even more against the tree, but he closed the small distance it created. Kagome avoided his gaze, looking at anything but him, but she noticed from the corner of her eye that his gaze was just as cold and calculating as ever.

Another push, harder, deeper, _lower_. A second, surprised gasp and she was sure her face was as red as any tomato.

"What are you doing?!"

_Smack!_

Her eyes wide, she stared at her hand like a foreign object. She did _not_ just do that.

His face had only turned the smallest bit to the side because of the blow; his cheek didn't even look red. Regardless, she heard the low growl rumble in his throat.

And then she saw her whole life flash before her eyes.

Okay, not really. But Kagome thought it was a most opportune moment for it because the kitsune was certainly going to _kill her_ for the offense.

He thrust her against the trunk once more and the bark bit unpleasantly into her skin, tearing into the newly healed pink flesh. His hands gripped her upper arms tightly enough to know she would be bruised in the morning—if there was one after this.

Just as she was considering whether or not a swift kick to the tender flesh between his legs would do her any good, she caught sight of his eyes and it stopped her suddenly. They were no longer gold.

"…Kurama?"

He didn't seem to hear. His eyes, now an emerald green color, were unfocused. Red after red strip appeared in his hair until the color had overtaken the silver. The ears and tail disappeared without so much as a "poof!" (which she had honestly anticipated, sound effects and all), and Kurama slumped forward.

Kagome stiffened as his head came to rest on her shoulder. His hands still held her, but not nearly as tight as before. His breathing was shallow and irregular. She felt frozen, and she wasn't entirely sure why, but what she did know was that her heart was beating way too fast.

Finally, his hands slipped away and he straightened himself graciously. He moved back far enough for her to get a good look at him, and she noticed for the first time the abrasions all over his body. Small cuts and bruises littered his skin; there was a pronounced bruise across one cheek. Not for the first time today, guilt coursed through her. Here was another person who was hurt on her account.

"Kurama…." She began, remorse tainting her voice. She touched his cheek lightly—or at least, she tried to. He moved away before her fingers could make contact, stinging her with the distance he put between them.

He held out his hand to her. "The jewel."

She pushed it away. "You're hurt." She took his other hand hesitantly, afraid he might pull away again. He didn't, and so she began to inspect the wounds across his arm. Closing her eyes, she began to concentrate on her power. _Heal_. It was the least she could do.

Kurama must have felt the change in the atmosphere, though, because he suddenly pulled away, albeit kindly. "Don't waste your energy, Kagome. They're just flesh wounds. They'll easily heal on their own, given the time."

A strangled mewl brought both their attention to the still-captive Kirara, and Kurama quickly remedied the situation by freeing the neko. The feline looked displeased as she licked the spots on her fur where the restraints had been, and Kurama gave an apology, though Kagome had no idea if Kirara accepted it or not.

"If you won't let me heal you, then at least let me treat them normally," Kagome said. She gave a quick look around. "We're not too far from the village."

"If you insist," Kurama replied. It was as close to an agreement as she would get. "But first."

He held out the jewel to her once more, and she took it from him and pocketed it. He wouldn't comply unless she did. Then, Kagome took his arm to steady him as they started to walk toward the village.

And this time, he didn't pull away.

**

* * *

**

Inuyasha let out a frustrated cry as he hacked the plant into tiny pieces.

"_Damn_ _it_!"

This stupid thing! He had chased it—how it could even move on its own, he still didn't understand—and followed its scent for the past however long and all for _nothing_.

The hanyou cursed under his breath. That damn kitsune had managed to trick him, leading him off with one of his pet plants that had mimicked his scent. And now it was too late, Inuyasha had gone too far. There was no trace of the kitsune left.

Inuyasha squeezed a makeshift limb of the crudely human-shaped plant and gained only a smidgen of satisfaction when the sap oozed out of either end as he crushed it to a pulp in his hand. Gah! He was. So. Freakin'. _Mad._

The only thing he could do now was backtrack and if he was lucky, which he probably wasn't, maybe, _maybe_, he could pick up on the demon's scent. If not, he'd have to grab Kagome and have her feel out the jewel for him.

Ill-tempered, he stomped off the way he had come and made sure to step and squish every bit of vegetation in his way. The kitsune probably knew he'd fall for it, too. That bastard Yuki or whatever the hell his name was, was probably laughing at him right now! Once he found him, he'd tear _him_ limb from limb instead of his little minion, and then they'd see who'll be—

Inuyasha paused when he smelled a familiar scent that he hadn't noticed before. His ear twitched in its direction as a far-off sound reached him.

His first instinct was to ignore it. He had a kitsune to maim and kill, after all, and not the little one he usually tormented. But he had a feeling if he ignored it, somehow it would get back to Kagome. She had a way of knowing things that always seemed to get him in trouble with her. And then she would sit him. Repeatedly.

He winced at the thought and decided to save himself the pain; he took off after the scent. It wasn't long before he stopped relying on his nose and started following the sounds his ears picked up instead. The person wasn't exactly being discreet as he marched through the terrain.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. It was a wonder the boy hadn't alerted the attention of every demon in the area. But as the hanyou's gaze caught sight of a lifeless body of a demon, he thought that perhaps he had and he just didn't care.

When he came into sight, Inuyasha dropped right into the boy's path. He jumped with obvious surprise, taking a step back to avoid a collision with the irritable dog demon.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Inuyasha asked with no small amount of irritation.

His amber eyes narrowed when Kuwabara straightened his posture and met his gaze. Feh, he never did like this kid.

"I can find a way. I know I can," he told the hanyou.

Inuyasha didn't feel the need to ask him to clarify. Although he wasn't privy to all the details, mostly because he didn't care enough to ask, he knew that Kuwabara was a man obsessed, and he'd do just about anything to reach his goal.

"If you haven't noticed already, you're a few centuries off from your own time, idiot. You ain't gonna find your answers here," Inuyasha snapped at him. "Time travel isn't easy."

"Look who's talking. You're the one who can go back and forth whenever you want," Kuwabara sulked. "Why can't I find my own way?"

"That—that's different!" he sputtered.

Kuwabara didn't even bother to answer. He tried to brush past him, but Inuyasha grabbed his arm in a tight grip.

"Ohh, no you don't! I did _not_ just waste two days of my time searchin' just for you to leave now. Kagome and your fox friend nearly offed themselves, and then Kurama turns around and steals my shards of the jewel—all thanks to you, by the way—so believe me when I tell you, you're gonna turn around _now_ and march your ass back to the village!"

Inuyasha saw him falter upon hearing what he had to say. His shoulders slumped. "…Maybe it was a bad decision," Kuwabara said.

"Yeah, it was bad, and you should feel bad," the hanyou scoffed.

He crossed his arms haughtily, and then felt a twinge of regret when he glanced at Kuwabara and saw how the light dimmed in his eyes. Ah, crap. He hadn't meant it like that. Well, he had, but it hadn't been his intention to bring the boy down in the dumps.

Inuyasha heaved a sigh. The things he did for these people…. "Look. …Hey, when I say look, _look_, alright?"

Kuwabara stopped staring off into space and stared at Inuyasha instead. Inuyasha almost wished that he hadn't. The guilt, the longing, the suffering, they were all there in his eyes, written on his face, and now it was all directed at him. He recognized the emotions, that familiar desperation, and realization hit Inuyasha like a physical blow. Somehow, without anyone ever telling him, he knew, he just _knew_ what had happened to Kuwabara to drive him to this point.

It was suddenly hard to swallow, and the hanyou forgot everything he was going to say. Angrily, he pushed his own sudden anguish away while blaming Kuwabara for invoking the unwanted feeling, and found new words. And even though he had demanded the human to look at him, he was the one to look far off into the distance and refuse to meet his gaze.

"Sometimes, you just gotta let go. There's no…." The words got stuck and he had to try again. He did his best to keep the emotion out of his tone. He was almost positive he was failing. "There's no bringing people back. It ain't… it's _not_ worth it. Whatever happened… happened for a reason."

There was silence when he finished. Inuyasha tore his eyes away from the darkening sky and glanced at Kuwabara from the corner of his eye. He was still staring at him with a look the hanyou didn't know the meaning of. Or he just didn't want to.

And as Inuyasha watched, he saw something die away in his eyes.

Hope.


	16. Spotlight

****

Redirection

**Shippo's Spotlight**

* * *

It was official: Shippo did _not_ like the newest members of their little group.

Who said they could join them, anyway? He certainly hadn't sent out invitations, and Inuyasha liked them no better than Shippo did! They had just appeared, poof, literally out of nowhere, and were accepted with open arms. It was the girls' fault, really. He expected as much from Kagome, she was softhearted, but Sango? He _thought_ he could count on her. Where had the mistrust, the suspicion, gone? If she was getting soft, well, things were serious.

As far as the four of them went, Yusuke was the one Shippo liked the best. And that wasn't saying much. In Shippo's opinion, the human boy was only classified as 'OK'. Sometimes, he could be fun. And while Shippo pretended not to like it when he laughed and ruffled the kitsune's hair after he made some comment that Yusuke would find amusing, Shippo inwardly felt pleased at being acknowledged in such a way. Other times, though, the boy was just loud and complained way too much. He was in need of a sit command, badly.

The other human, Kuwabara, was far too mopey and not enough fun for Shippo's (excellent) taste. It was bad to begin with, but his gloominess had gotten worse, especially since he had come back with Inuyasha a few days ago. He barely talked to anyone, now; he even failed to crack a smile when Shippo performed a trick for him! That was the last time the fox wasted his best illusion on him, that was for sure.

And then there was the fire apparition, Hiei. Well, let's just say Shippo stayed far, far away from him whenever possible. That glare the demon had sent him when the kit got within a five foot range? The kitsune _still_ had nightmares. Inuyasha might send him a heated glare every now and then, but he knew he wouldn't slice him to pieces. With the fire demon, he wasn't so sure.

Lastly came the red-haired one. Don't even get Shippo started on him! He was the worst of the bunch, even worse than the glaring, angry one, and that was saying a lot. Oh, sure, he _seemed_ nice, had even gone so far as to try and use his charming personality on _him_, but Shippo could see through that façade in a second. He only wished Kagome could see it, too. There was just something not right about him, something Shippo really, really didn't like. No one else seemed to notice.

Fine, if that was how it was going to be, then Shippo would just have to find a way to show them how truly evil this other kitsune was. Then they'd all be sorry for ever doubting him.

* * *

"—here, see, and then the smaller orange fox chases the red one away and—"

Shippo paused when he noticed Yusuke rolling his eyes, which peeved him a bit, but the teen wasn't his intended audience anyway. He scooted closer to Miroku, deliberately ignoring Yusuke and putting his back to him in the process. He would've continued, but the monk beat him to it.

"These are all… well done, Shippo," Miroku said as he picked up one of the pictures the kit had drawn. Shippo beamed at the praise.

Miroku put down the page he was holding and picked up the next one. One of his eyebrows arched. "…But is there something you would like to share?"

Shippo hopped onto the monk's shoulder so that he could see which of his pictures had peaked Miroku's interest. Three figures were present in a sunny field, all skillfully drawn. One of them, a red fox with green eyes, was unconscious on the grass, while the second kitsune stood victoriously on top of the first, a dark-haired cat by the second fox's side. Everything seemed in order.

"Nope," he replied to Miroku's question. "I think the picture says it all."

"Indeed," the monk agreed.

"What picture?"

Shippo heard the female voice and immediately made a jump for the pictures scattered across the floor of the hut. When he recognized the owner of the voice as Sango, he relaxed and let the drawing stay where they lay.

Yusuke snorted at Shippo's expense. "Shippo here was just showing us some original, totally _not_ based on anyone we know characters in his new story," he informed the demon slayer.

"I wasn't showing _you_ anything!" Shippo replied, throwing Yusuke a look. "And they are made-up characters!"

"Right. And that red one doesn't look like Kurama at all."

The kitsune glared at the boy, but it had nowhere near the desired effect since Yusuke merely smirked at him in return. At the same time, Sango, with obvious curiosity, took the picture from Miroku when he offered. Shippo waited patiently for her praise.

"You don't like Kurama?" was what Sango ended up asking. Her voice didn't hold any surprise. If anything, she sounded amused.

Traitor.

Shippo crossed his little arms over his chest. "No," he answered defiantly, his lips turning downward in a pout.

The demon slayer looked like she wanted to say something, but ultimately shook her head. He wasn't sure why, but it annoyed him. Somehow, he knew that the small smile on her face was because of him, and he hadn't done anything funny. Not to his knowledge, at any rate.

"I was going to do a quick sweep to see if there are any demon-related problems in the area that need my attention," Sango told them. The taijiya had trouble sitting still for more than a few days, Shippo had come to notice.

"I'll go, too," Yusuke said as he rose to his feet. "I was getting bored here anyway," he added, sending a deliberate look to Shippo. The kitsune stuck his tongue out at him.

Again, that small smile, but this time it had nothing to do with Shippo. "I thought you might," Sango replied.

The two left then, and Shippo found it curious how Sango hadn't asked Miroku to go along, too. Of course, she hadn't asked Yusuke in the first place either, but she had almost known what his response would be. Maybe Sango had known that Miroku would decline an offer to go?

Shippo turned to Miroku to see what his thoughts were on the matter—or if he even thought anything of it at all—but the kitsune was perplexed to see that the monk had his head leaning against the wall, his eyes closed, with a very slight smile on his face. It was strange though, because Shippo couldn't see any traces of happiness in that smile. Not to say he was upset or mad or anything. Just… sad almost, but not quite.

Honestly, the monk got weirder by the day.

Shippo shook his knee gently, and Miroku's eyes quickly opened, looking down at the kit with a moment's confusion. Obviously, he had forgotten he was even there.

"Where is Kagome, anyway?"

He seemed to think about it for a moment, then answered. "Last I saw her, she had one of her books."

Oh. Her books were incredibly boring. Kagome wouldn't pay much attention to him when she had one of them, so there was no need for him to be there. Just as long as—

"I believe Kurama was going to help her study," Miroku finished.

"Eh?"

Shippo wasted no time; he dashed right out of there.

* * *

In all truth, Shippo did not understand the girls' preoccupation with these new guys.

Sango's friendship with Yusuke was, okay, a bit understandable. He had heard her laugh more times with him than he had the whole time he'd known her. It was probably an exaggeration, but not by much. Kagome thought their whole relationship was good for the taijiya, although Miroku would sometimes glance at the two of them with the oddest expression. When he asked Kagome about it, she told him he was too young to understand. He decidedly hated that answer.

More unusual, however, was that Sango got along with the scary one, too. Thankfully, the fire demon wasn't around much, but when he was, Sango actually sought him out. Obviously, Sango was just the slightest bit insane. When considering that the two fought more times than they had civilized conversation (though he was only guessing by the number of times Sango had returned upset and frustrated), it had to be so.

Meanwhile, Kagome had grown close to the other two. She took a particular liking to checking up on Kuwabara, and although he responded better to her than anyone else, it wasn't much of an improvement. When she wasn't trying to coax Kuwabara out of his shell, however, she spent her time with Kurama.

The fox and the miko; it was hard to find one without the other, now. They were always together, talking and sharing each others' company. He made her laugh and smile often, that tricky fox. Maybe Kagome didn't notice that evil twinkle in his eye, but Shippo did. He _did_!

Besides, all those light touches, like when he _accidentally_ brushed his hand against hers during dinner. Shippo totally saw that. He was surprised Kagome hadn't slapped him yet!

There was no need to worry, though. Shippo would save her from that evil.

* * *

When Shippo finally located Kagome and Kurama, he kept himself hidden. After all, he didn't want to be bored with all the work stuff Kagome did, but he wasn't about to leave her alone with Kurama either. Besides, Shippo was pretty sure the fox was on to him.

"Ooh, I get it now!" Kagome said, following a longwinded explanation by Kurama. It had been too mindnumbingly boring for Shippo to have actually paid attention to.

Kurama looked impressed for a moment, followed closely by skeptical. "…Do you really?"

"Nope, not at all."

He gave a soft laugh to which Kagome smiled sheepishly. She averted her gaze and ducked her head, reading silently from her book, which caused a small wisp of hair to fall into her face. Shippo's tail twitched when Kurama reached out and tucked the strand back into place. It gave another, more pronounced twitch when his hand stayed close, the back of his fingers skimming across her cheek, to which Kagome blushed furiously.

Her eyes flickered to his face, but quickly lowered. She seemed to struggle internally for a few stretched out moments, but eventually her gaze strayed back to his face. It seemed to take a lot of effort for her to keep her eyes on him.

"Kurama…" she began. Her face darkened another shade. "When you look at me like that, I…"

He smiled faintly and leaned in closer to her. Her eyes closed and—

Nuh-uh, no way was he going to kiss her! Not with Shippo on watch!

He darted out of the bushes as swiftly as he could, making sure to create a loud racket. It worked; Kagome sprang away from Kurama and looked around for the source of the noise. Even Kurama himself seemed caught off-guard.

"Kagome!" Shippo cried as he pounced. She caught him automatically, and he purposefully positioned himself between her and Kurama.

"Shippo," Kagome greeted, sounding a bit dazed. "What's wrong?" Her face looked red still, but he noticed that she deliberately didn't look at Kurama. He felt a small triumphant smirk appear on his face.

"Nothing," he replied. "I just couldn't find you and I got worried, that's all."

The young fox put all his hurt, lonely, 'I'm a poor young demon child, love me!' feelings into his voice, just for added effect. He knew Kagome was a sucker for them.

How right he was. In an instant she was hugging him, and Shippo made sure to look at Kurama as he hugged her back fiercely. For the most part, the older kitsune's expression was unreadable, but Shippo could've sworn he looked… well, amused.

While his lack of resentment did annoy him (for it was obvious that Kurama knew exactly what he had done), Shippo didn't care too much. He was still the winner of this round.

Kurama stood and addressed Kagome. "I should go now and find Hiei. I'm afraid he might be getting himself into trouble." He offered her a small smile. "I'll be around later if you still need my help."

The evil kitsune was leaving, finally. Of course, he would be back later, but if he could save Kagome for now, that was good enough.

And if Shippo noticed how her eyes followed Kurama in disappointment as he left, he happily ignored it and snuggled closer to Kagome.

* * *

When Shippo located Kagome the next day, she was sitting on the side of the well, waiting for him. She smiled and waved when she saw him coming.

"Inuyasha said you wanted to see me," Shippo told her. His eyes darted over to the bag lying on the ground next to her. "You're leaving?"

"Just for a week or so." He most have frowned or showed some sign of displeasure, because she added, "Don't worry, I'll be back soon enough. And with lots of treats in tow."

He beamed brightly at the very thought, which caused Kagome to laugh softly. When the laughter died away, she patted the spot next to her and he gladly took the invitation. She didn't speak right away, but he was patient, and he fiddled with the petals on a newly bloomed flower right beneath his feet to pass the time.

An abrupt breeze swept by them and startled him, but Kagome didn't even jump. It did cause her hair to fly all out of place, though she merely pushed it back to keep it out of her eyes. He noticed that her face looked rather thoughtful.

"You know, Kurama called you 'a worthy adversary'." She smiled to herself. "I didn't know what he meant at first, but…."

She suddenly scooped him up into her arms and hugged him to her. He gave a small yelp in surprise. "You're my favorite little fox, Shippo. You know that, right?"

He blushed and squirmed in her grasp, but she didn't let go and in all truth, he didn't want her to. In fact, she merely laughed at his halfhearted struggles.

Eventually, he gave up the act and merely sat contently in her lap. It didn't last long before she gave him a quick peck on the cheek and placed him down on the grass once more. With a short wave and a grin, she grabbed her bag and jumped into the well. Shippo watched her disappear, her cheeks a deeper shade of red then before.

Maybe Kurama wasn't such a bad guy, after all. If Kagome liked him, he couldn't be all that bad. Besides, they did have something in common; maybe Shippo would even take it upon himself to teach the older kitsune a few of his tricks. That was, of course, if Kurama showed him a few of his, too.

When even the mystical light had died out and all traces of Kagome were gone, Shippo hopped down from the side of the well and headed back into the forest. Now, what would his entertainment be for the next week until Kagome came back? Well, Inuyasha was sulking about, after the whole jewel thief incident. He supposed he could always—

Wait a minute! She said favorite _little_ fox.

Did that mean…?

…Nahhhh.


	17. Time

**Redirection**

**Chapter Sixteen: **

**Time**

"_Kuwabara is convenient in that instance." —Shuichi Minamino_

* * *

"It's his sister, isn't it?"

It was subtle, but Sango noticed the surprise that registered on Kurama's face. He even turned his head to look at her fully. "I'm sorry?" he asked.

Sango shifted her weight as best as she could so that she was facing the redhead. It wasn't easy, considering she was sitting on a poorly-constructed fence, and it required an annoying amount of twisting, but she managed.

She continued, "Kuwabara. Yukina was his sister."

She noticed with a bit of irritation that it barely took Kurama any effort to do the same. His movements were fluid, graceful. It still wasn't enough to distract her from the emotion akin to relief that quickly passed through his eyes, however.

"No. No, she was not. She's—" he hesitated, searching for the right words, and the ones that would not give away too much information, certainly. "She's merely a friend."

She arched an eyebrow at that. "Kuwabara is going to awfully long lengths to help a friend."

His smile was lopsided as he answered with, "a close friend."

She snorted her disbelief, but didn't press the matter. It caught his interest, however, for he asked, "why the incredulity? Would you not do the same for your friends?"

The immediate answer that came to mind was "I know when to accept death," but she didn't say it aloud. Moreover, she bit it back bitterly, and felt a flash of anger that had nothing to do with Kurama and everything to do with herself.

"Why are you so close-mouthed about it?" she shot back defensively.

He eyed her silently and Sango felt decidedly uncomfortable under his gaze. His face might've been a blank, thoughtful mask, but his eyes gave him away; his gaze was calculating. It was as though he saw right through her and into her deeper thoughts, like he knew exactly what she was thinking. The idea displeased her more than a little, but she refused to look away.

Sango felt relieved when he finally replied. "It's not that I'm against it—telling you, that is. It's just not my place to say."

After he spoke, she no longer saw it as a weakness to look away, and so she did just that. The demon slayer thought of a quick change of topic in hopes that Kurama would forget about her slight outburst and not question her further. She said the first thing that came to mind.

"Hiei hasn't been around much lately." She winced internally. Now why did she have to go and bring him into the conversation? Not that the fire demon wasn't on her mind; their last conversation had been a sour one, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

Sango wasn't one to fidget, but she nearly did when, from the corner of her eye, she spotted Kurama watching her again. If he had looked amused, like she had suspected he would, she would've blushed with a mixture of irritation and embarrassment.

His face was serious, however, as he told her, "Hiei has his own agenda. He always has."

Fortunately, after he had spoken, Kurama finally shifted back to his original position and gazed at the horizon instead of her. She looked off into the distance, as well; the sun would be rising shortly. That demon should be coming out to play soon.

Silence didn't usually bother the demon slayer, but it did with Kurama by her side. She momentarily wished she had brought Yusuke along instead of the kitsune, if only because she was more comfortable with him, and the boy was more likely to unravel the mystery concerning Yukina than Kurama. Yusuke hadn't looked in the mood, though (plus he was one to sleep rather than fight demons before sunrise), and the redhead had offered. She didn't turn him down, but at present she wished she had tackled this job alone.

Sango could see red peaking over the horizon. Wouldn't be long now.

"Inuyasha still mad at you?" Sango asked. She was grasping at straws here, but it was better than the silence.

Kurama laughed. "That would be a gross understatement."

Inuyasha had never been fond of the red-haired kitsune, that much was blatantly apparent. Most of it had been just the hanyou grouching; it appeared to Sango that he had begun to at least respect the fox, possibly even like him—until he had stolen their shards. Now it was back to distrust, though at least he was no longer trying attack Kurama. Just the once, when Inuyasha had finally come back to the village, Kuwabara in tow.

"I'm surprised, however," Kurama continued, "that you are still willing to trust me, Sango."

What he said was true, and initially, she _had _been distrustful of him just after the whole jewel thief incident. But as she came to understand, it wasn't Kurama who had acted, but another inhabitant of his body. His demon side. She supposed it did make some sort of sense, and he gave all the shards he took back to Kagome when he could have easily avoided her.

Nonetheless, Sango would be cautious of him from now on.

"It's not you I'm worried about," she murmured, more to herself than to him. She didn't claim to know Hiei well, but his activity had been… peculiar lately. Suspicious, even. Violent, most definitely. Considering the different scratches and wounds she had noticed on him, he must have been out fighting demons lately, though why, she didn't know.

Orange and yellow joined the red as the sun slowly rose. She could see the colors reflected on the kitsune's face. "Yes, I've been... worried about him as well."

She gave Kurama a curious sidelong glance. "You hesitated."

"In terms of a fight, Hiei is capable of handling himself. I have no doubts about his abilities," Kurama told her unnecessarily, and she got the feeling he was saying it because he, too, noticed Hiei's sudden demon killing-spree. "It is not his physical well-being that has me concerned."

Sango paused before she asked him her question. "…Why does he hate Kuwabara?"

It had been bothering her for awhile now. Hiei seemed so furious with him all the time. It was almost as though he couldn't stand to hear the boy's name. He had even attacked Kuwabara for no good reason, even though he knew he had no intention of fighting back. Was Kuwabara linked to Hiei's odd behavior?

"He never hated Kuwabara. He never liked him much either, mind you. But now…."

Kurama's gaze was distant. Sad, almost. She prodded him further. "Why?"

He turned and met her gaze. "He hates him so he won't have to hate himself." Sango didn't know what to say, and so said nothing at all. Kurama continued on his own soon enough. "He was there as well, but could do nothing."

When she died, Sango connected. So both Hiei and Kuwabara were present, but couldn't prevent this Yukina from dying. Powerless to stop whatever or whomever caused her death. To be that close and not able to do anything…. To watch and not have the strength to…

"He must hate."

Kurama's words shook her out of her trance. Her gaze, which had drifted to the ground, snapped back to him.

"Hiei must hate," Kurama repeated. "Kuwabara is convenient in that instance."

It hardly solved any of her questions. If anything, she had more. But the sun had begun to rise higher in the sky, casting light across the land, and a demon's form shimmered into existence with the new light.

Sango grabbed Hiraikotsu from where it was leaning on the fence beside her. Kurama spotted the youkai, too; a hand disappeared into his long locks and came back with a rose. With a flick of his wrist, the rose extended into a whip and cracked audibly through the air.

From all the ruckus the villagers had made about the demon, Sango had expected more of a fight. It appeared each morning for only ten or so minutes at a time, but did enough damage to the village and the people for them to have enlisted Sango's help. Nonetheless, with Kurama's aid, taking care of it was a breeze and they finished before the allotted time was completed.

Sango went to collect her compensation quickly once the demon was taken care of, and met Kurama just outside the village. With just a small nod to tell him that the transaction had gone smoothly, the two started their journey back to Kaede's village.

"Sorry about having to walk," Sango apologized. It was a far walk, but… "Kirara's been preoccupied lately."

"She's been by Kuwabara's side, hasn't she?" Kurama noted.

Sango nodded. "She's taken a liking to him. Not only that, but she senses his sadness. It's stronger than before and I guess her presence is her way of helping."

Kuwabara…. She didn't know what had happened when he had left on his own, but he had come back a broken man. It was a hard thing to watch, and Sango did the only thing she knew how to. She gave him space.

"I'm sure it is," Kurama agreed. "He is fond of cats. Kirara might be just what he needs in this time."

She left the conversation there and had no desire to pick it back up again. What she really wanted to do was return to their previous discussion, even if it had inexplicably made her chest feel tight and the rest of her body go numb. There was just… curiosity. She wanted to know. The girl, Yukina. Kuwabara. Hiei. What exactly had happened?

Her gaze snapped back into focus. Kurama had just asked her something and she had no idea what. Her face must have betrayed her perplexity, because he repeated the question.

"When is Kagome expected back?"

If the demon slayer had been someone like Kagome, she might have asked him quite slyly why he was concerned about it, but she wasn't and as it was, she answered rather distractedly.

"In a few days time. Inuyasha mentioned something about tests."

She didn't think her response was all that interesting. Kurama had a different opinion, apparently. "Inuyasha? You didn't speak with her yourself?"

"No. I haven't spoken with her much lately," Sango replied. In truth, Sango had yet to forgive her for performing such a risky procedure to heal herself. Not only had she nearly killed Yusuke, but herself as well, despite both Sango and Miroku's protests. Kagome had acted rashly and if Sango hadn't stepped in, they would've had two dead bodies on their hands. Of course, she risked herself as well, intervening as she did. Her own rash decision, but with more thought behind it than Kagome's action.

Her mind didn't linger on Kagome for long. Again, she found it drifting to the same place. She wanted answers. She wasn't a person who stuck her noses in other people's business, but with this…. A part of her just needed to know.

Kurama wouldn't tell her because 'it wasn't his place to say'. Yusuke hadn't been that helpful, and aside from not knowing Kuwabara well, he was in no mood to share.

Sango stopped abruptly. Kurama turned with an inquiring look.

"Do you remember the way back?" the demon slayer asked him.

"Yes…" Kurama replied.

"Good." Sango shifted Hiraikotsu to a more comfortable position. "There's just something…. I'll be back soon."

She hadn't taken more than five steps before Kurama's voice drifted to her. "You won't find him."

Little fox thought he knew everything, did he? He certainly was an intelligent one. He didn't even sound surprised or reproachful. Well, she supposed he _was_ the one that encouraged her to seek the demon out, once upon a time.

"Maybe not," she called back.

Sango turned and offered him a lopsided half-smile. "But he always seems to find me."

* * *

There was a certain feel to it, the way his blade slide into flesh. It differed depending on the species of demon, or humans as well, though it had been a long time since his sword had drank of that blood.

Still, regardless of the demon, whether its skin was gristly, or limp and tender, that feeling, the way the flesh split and blood poured out while his blade invaded his victim's body, that feeling never changed. Not to say he took pleasure in it, but… well, he did. He enjoyed it. Not as much as he once did, but he was fond of it all the same.

So, as his sword retracted from the demon's gut and he could feel the youkai's flesh tearing, Hiei felt a good deal of satisfaction. The demon sputtered and made a blind attack at him, and Hiei showed him some mercy by beheading the wounded thing.

Both pieces fell to the ground with a thud, dropping near its already severed limb. Hiei left his sword poised at the demon for another moment in case it should twitch, but it was good and dead. Dipping the point of the sword into the demon's chest, he flicked his wrist and lodged the item loose from the body.

With help from his sword, he sent the tiny fragment up, flashing through the air, and Hiei snatched it up before it could fall again.

Another jewel shard; this was easier than he had expected.

He wiped the blood off the blade before he sheathed it, while his other hand pocketed the shard. Then, his fingers curled around the cloth tied around his head, pulled it off, and revealed his Jagan.

The fire demon allowed his lids to drift close as his third eye opened. He prompted it to seek out more jewel fragments, and he could feel it widen completely, could feel the intense heat as it began to glow, as the Jagan rapidly searched through his surroundings, his awareness stretching out for miles.

Irritation filled him when he could not sense even a glimmer of another jewel, but he sensed something else familiar. He felt _her_, and knew that the slayer sought him.

Hiei let out a small noise of discontent. He saw no reason she would want to find him, especially after their last conversation a few days prior. He felt his lips curl unpleasantly at the thought, but Hiei stopped himself before he fully expressed the emotion.

"You're being reckless," the demon slayer had told him. "You'll be killed if you go on like this."

He remembered the comment had annoyed him. Him, killed? That was highly doubtful. No, more than that. It was preposterous. He was not so easily killed, especially by these weak demons relying on just a small shard of power to keep them alive. If he was injured, it was only slightly, and only because he had allowed the demon to strike so that he could make his own move.

At the time, however, he was merely looking for a quick way out of the discussion, and replied, "What does it matter?" He wondered now why he hadn't just left her there.

She tried to reason with him, her voice something akin to gentle. "What about the people who care about you, Hiei? Your friends care about you. I—" His eyes narrowed as she shook her head. "Even Kagome is looking out for you now," she finished.

She had taken a step forward, then, and she was closer than he would've liked. He refused to back down, however, and settled with a glare.

"You _have_ people that care about your well-being if you'd just open your eyes for a second to see them! You're just like Kuwabara. You're entirely consumed by _her_."

Looking back, she seemed taken aback by her own sudden outburst, her face darkened a shade, but Hiei barely noticed at the time. He had moved before she even ended her last sentence, closing the distance between them in a fraction of a second. The demon slayer was startled enough to find him a hairbreadth away that she took a clumsy step back and ended up with her back against a tree. He pinned her there with a furious glare.

"And you would know _nothing_ about that would you?" he asked of her, unable to keep the wrath out of his tone. "No, you don't care at all about that walking corpse of a brother. You want nothing to do with him, is that right?"

She looked stunned, but it melted away until he saw grief and anger on her face. Breaking the eye contact, she turned away and grabbed her fallen weapon.

"Do what you please," she informed him, her voice flat. "I no longer care."

He didn't wait for her to leave, he did so on his own. That had been a few days ago, and he had not returned to the others since. Now it seemed, however, that she was looking for him, another argument in tow, most likely. He considered briefly letting her find him (it was satisfying when she got angry at him), but decided against it.

Besides, his Jagan had just located another jewel shard not too far away, and that came first on his list of priorities.

* * *

"…Stupid people taking up space, _invading_ my home…"

Yusuke kicked the wall. Again.

"We can hear you, ya know," he said, glaring up at the ceiling. "Damn mutt… And I thought this was some old Grandma's home?"

The whole place shook when Inuyasha pounded against the roof, sending little wood shavings all over the place, and more importantly, on top of Yusuke's head.

"Yeah, well, it's still more mine than yours!" Inuyasha called back.

Yusuke intensified his glare as he brushed the debris out of his hair, even though he knew Inuyasha couldn't see it. But Yusuke was willing to bet that he could feel it. Oh, he could feel it.

"Don't even think you're gonna be staying here much longer 'cause I sure as hell won't—what the…"

The hanyou trailed off in his rant. Yusuke waited for him to continue, but the roof shaking once more and a _thump_ from outside as a solid object met the ground was all that happened. Inuyasha's presence drew farther away; he had taken off suddenly in the middle of his yelling. Weird. The hanyou seemed the type that would've enjoyed chewing Yusuke out—not that he would have succeeded.

"What would we do…"

Yusuke snapped his gaze to the side, turning to look at the speaker. He was being so damn quiet, Yusuke had forgotten he was there.

Kuwabara continued on, "…if we're really stuck here?"

The ex-detective tried for a carefree shrug, but his shoulders were tense. It wasn't like it mattered though, since Kuwabara was barely paying attention.

"Hell if I know. Make the best of it, I guess."

He didn't like the sound of it, though. He didn't fancy living in the past, it seemed boring as hell to him. He was already tired of it and they hadn't even been there that long.

He eyed Kuwabara considerately as the boy fell silent once more. Yusuke gave an aggravated sigh as he stood up and closed the distance between the two. Even as Yusuke towered over him, Kuwabara didn't look up from his spot on the floor.

Yusuke nudged him with his foot. "So, what, you're gonna mope for the rest of eternity?" Although his voice was gruff, he was entirely serious.

It immediately drew Kuwabara's attention. He used the wall to guide him as he stood, but when he finally did stand tall, he towered over Yusuke. Kuwabara frowned at him.

"What do you know, Urameshi!" he shot back.

Yusuke took another step forward, and there was little room left between them. "More than you, 'cause I know when to get off my ass and do somethin'," he replied. He fixed his friend with the full heat of his glare.

Kuwabara had to snap out of this funk. Not only was it unhealthy, but it was painful and pathetic to watch. It had been months; shouldn't the healing have begun already?

"Don't even start with—"

Yusuke interrupted him. "Yukina saved you for a reason, ya know. And it wasn't so you could spend the rest of your life being miserable."

Kuwabara shoved Yusuke, obviously unable to think of a decent response, but Yusuke shoved him right back, and harder. Kuwabara's back slammed into the wall enough for it to smart, but not seriously hurt him. With a grunt, Kuwabara sprang forward and threw a wild punch at Yusuke. Yusuke dodged it and grabbed his extended arm, and using it to swing him around and send him into the wall again. Kuwabara never could best him at a fight.

"Our lives are dangerous," Yusuke continued. "She knew that. She knew what she was getting into."

She could've gotten away from it if she wanted to. Keiko had.

"She didn't know she would die!" Kuwabara yelled, but he sounded desperate now.

Yusuke just stared at him sympathetically. "But she took the risk anyway."

"Hey!"

Both boys' gaze snapped to the doorway. A flushed Kagome stood there, her breathing coming a little fast. Inuyasha stood behind her, glancing suspiciously from one boy to the other.

"I heard yelling. Everything okay?" Kagome asked when she caught her breath. Was that why it looked like she had been running?

"Fine," Yusuke said a bit snappier than he had meant to. She didn't look like she believed him, but she dropped it.

"Okay," she said as she stepped into the hut. Inuyasha followed, dropping her bag, filled to the brim, onto the ground.

The tension in the room was thick, and Yusuke noticed Kuwabara still giving him less than friendly looks out of the corner of his eye, but Kagome went about her business like she didn't notice. It was impossible not to, however. Inuyasha was looking at both of them like he smelled at rat.

Not wanting the hanyou to prod, Yusuke questioned Kagome. "Why're you back so early?"

She looked up from her unpacking, scrunching her little nose. "Today's White Day, which is really depressing when you don't have a guy." Kagome tapped her lip thoughtfully. "I did get some sweets from Hojo, though. But my friends were all gushing about different boys, so I figured I'd get out of there while I still could."

Something she said perked Kuwabara up. Yusuke could see enlightenment dawn on his face, but clouded with confusion. Honestly, Yusuke didn't know why. He found her whole speech a bit boring, but to each their own.

"…White Day…?" Kuwabara asked faintly. "…But it hasn't… not nearly a…"

"Well, yeah," Kagome replied. "You know, like Valentine's Day, only the guys have to get the girls the presents. It comes—"

Kuwabara moved so fast then that Yusuke doubted even Hiei could follow his movements. He was suddenly in front of Kagome, grabbing her forearms in his hands very tightly. Kagome eeped in surprise, and quite frankly, looked shocked. Even Yusuke himself was taken aback.

"Kazuma, your grip…" she began, and winced.

Inuyasha was the first to react. "Hey! Get your hands off her!"

Inuyasha put a hand on hand on Kuwabara, but he violently shook it off. The hanyou looked enraged, and grabbed his arm again, harder. It looked painful, but Kuwabara didn't even react. His eyes were for Kagome and Kagome only.

"Kuwabara, what the hell—" Yusuke began.

He interrupted him. "Kagome, this is very important," Kuwabara told her, giving Kagome a slight shake. She nodded dumbly to show she was listening. "What year is it?"

"Eh?" She blinked. "1999, why?"

Kuwabara let go of her with an abruptness that made her stumble backward. Inuyasha caught her before she could go far.

Yusuke heard Kuwabara swear, something he almost never heard him do. He grabbed his arm and spun Kuwabara toward him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Yusuke demanded.

Yusuke felt a shock run through him when Kuwabara lifted his eyes to look at him. He expected his friend to look angry, grief-stricken, anything of that nature. Instead, he looked ecstatic. Joyous. Relief and happiness was in his eyes. What the fuck?

Yusuke immediately let go. Kuwabara grabbed both his shoulders and shook him. "Don't you ever pay attention to the date? 1999, you idiot!"

Yusuke frowned. Yeah, 1999, it had been for a few months now. But White Day… Wait…

"But that's not right, how—" Yusuke immediately cut off.

Holy. Crap.

No way. Impossible. It just couldn't… But that meant…

"We still have time. There's time to stop it."

Yusuke took a few steps back and leaned heavily on the wall. A small smile crept onto his face in response to the goofy one on Kuwabara's.

"What?" Kagome demanded, all by stomping her foot. "What's going on? What're you guys talking about?" Even Inuyasha looked bewildered.

"Kagome, if you're right and it's only March 14th, 1999… She's still alive," Kuwabara told her.

"…_What_?"

She looked dumbstruck as Kuwabara swept her up into a giant hug.

"Yukina died… two days from now."


	18. Calamity

**Redirection**

**Chapter Seventeen:**

**Calamity**

"_Less talking, more leaving." —Kazuma Kuwabara_

* * *

Their friend Yukina was still alive.

Kagome sat down heavily on the edge of the well as she wrapped her head around the thought. It was all too crazy… and yet, it made perfect sense. At least, it started to when Kurama had arrived and explained it more articulately than Kuwabara and Yusuke had managed. He certainly had a way with words.

"Wait, gimme that part again."

Yusuke sent an irritated look Inuyasha's way, but Kurama was patient with him. "Our timelines, they don't quite meet up. That is to say, when the four of us were sent back into the past, it didn't account for a time traveler." The redhead gave Kagome an acknowledging nod. "The time she goes back to is several months earlier than ours. We've already lived out months after Yukina's death, not including the time we have spent here in the past. For her timeline, the murder has not even occurred yet."

"Oh!" Kagome exclaimed abruptly, drawing the attention of the others in the field.

The majority of their group was present, save a few. When Shippo had run off that morning, Kirara had followed. Hiei was nowhere to be found, and Kurama had informed the rest of them that Sango had gone off in search of him once again. Kagome only wished Sango had waited just a little longer, so that she could have heard the good news. At least then she would have something decent to tell the fire demon, something that would give him a little hope. Kagome supposed, though, that he would find out soon enough anyway.

A blush crept up Kagome's face as a result of their attention. "Sorry, I just realized something," she told them as she turned her gaze toward Kuwabara. "I lied before, when I said I couldn't find your sister. I met Shizuru, but she pretty much gave me the brush off. I couldn't understand why she'd do that when I said you guys were in trouble, but now I get it. For all I know she had seen you just that morning. To her, I was just some raving girl who didn't know what she was talking about."

"Since when are you not a raving girl who doesn't know what she's talking about?" Miroku asked rather innocently.

Kagome was surprised not at the comment, but by who said it. It seemed more Yusuke's style to her.

"Hey!" she cried, affronted.

He held his hands up harmlessly, a smile on his face. "I tease."

"Less talking, more leaving," Kuwabara interrupted before Kagome could think up a witty reply.

The last of Kagome's good mood disappeared as she took a closer look at Kuwabara. His every move screamed of his anxiousness. The high spirit he was in before had long faded, only to be replaced by worry and restlessness. A mere glance made it seem like he was stone-like, though closer inspection disproved it. He kept shifting, stirring. She would have been less concerned if he was pacing, but instead his body screamed of movement that could not be contained within him.

He wouldn't be able to handle losing her twice.

"Right," Kagome agreed with a nod, bracing her hands on her thighs as she stood. "We'll get a move on it. I'll do everything in my power to save her," she said with conviction. She hoped it would help make Kuwabara a little less uneasy, but he didn't look reassured.

Kagome felt Inuyasha rest his arm leisurely on her head. It was an affectionate gesture, though he would never admit it.

"Which means _I'll_ be doin' most of the work," Inuyasha translated.

Kagome pushed his arm away without much force. "Ha ha," she said dryly, though a small smile she tried to hide played across her lips.

Surprisingly, it had not taken much to convince Inuyasha to help the others. He said it was only so that he could finally get rid of them, but Kagome didn't buy it. Danger, no matter how great, never hindered him, but to be so selfless (which he was much more than he let on) without even the slightest bit of protest was unusual for him.

Then again… Wanting to change the past, bringing a love back to life…. Inuyasha understood well the appeal to it.

Kagome felt the gaze on her and turned to find the source. She locked eyes with Kurama, who had been staring silently, and now she was, too, because she just could not bring herself to look away. She had a feeling he had been watching her for much longer than she had noticed. Why? Why was he looking at her so intensely? If it was her attention he wanted, all he had to do was ask and he would have it, but he did not say a word. There was something else, something more written in his gaze and she so very much wanted to question him about it, but did not dare to in front of the others. They struck her as private inquiries, for whatever reason.

She knew Inuyasha and the others were having some sort of conversation, and although she heard the words and knew for sure they were a language she understood, she wasn't aware of a single thing they said. Her heart suddenly felt tight in her chest, heavy for a reason she did not know.

When Kurama inclined his head to the right, she knew without fault what he was indicating. Chewing on her lower lip, she gave a small nod and stepped aside with him without question. They went far enough away that only Inuyasha could have heard them if he wanted to, but he seemed too engrossed with an argument with Yusuke. She was thankful to be able to break their eye contact, for his serious gaze was a little too much for her to take. Unfortunately, it did nothing to alleviate the pressure in her chest.

They stood together in the shade of a nearby tree, perhaps a little closer than friends would stand. She waited for him to start, but when Kurama remained silent she took the privilege upon herself.

Her eyes flickered his way and then away again. "So I guess this is goodbye for awhile," she said. She locked her hands behind her back so that he would not notice her fidgeting, though she had a feeling he was aware regardless.

Kagome was not sure how much time passed or how long she had been avoiding eye contact, but without warning, a pair of shoes other than her own were in her view. She looked up with a jerk and her breath caught in her throat. She was staring into Kurama's face from inches away. Had he been shorter or she a few inches taller, they would have been touching.

"That's one way to get me to look up," she murmured with a shaky laugh, trying to ease the tension building up inside of her. She could feel her pulse start to speed up as the strong scent that was just plainly him washed over her.

Trying to take a step back proved useless as his hand caught her arm. His eyes looked passed her for a moment, and she was willing to bet he was looking to see if Inuyasha had noticed. Considering she wasn't being torn away from the redhead, Kagome had to assume he hadn't. For once, she didn't mind the neglection.

His other hand came up to stroke her cheek. She jumped at first contact, but soon found herself unconsciously tilting her face into the caress.

"I want…" he began. Then he shook his head and took a step back, dropping his hands away from her.

It was her turn to make a grab for him before he got too far. Her hand encircled his wrist. She didn't want him to stop there, but she had a feeling prodding would get her nowhere. What _did_ he want?

"I won't be gone long," she told him.

It must have been the wrong thing to say because he gently took his wrist away and moved farther away. He shook his head again, this time with a half-smile on his face that seemed at her expense.

"Should you succeed or not, things will be different," he told her.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. She wondered what that meant. Did it have to do with the girl? Who was Yukina to him, anyway? And most of all, she wanted to know what this feeling of dread was that sank into her.

He was leaning against the tree now, eyes closed, hair gently tousled by the breeze. So still and so silent, his breathing barely moving his chest, he seemed more part of the tree he leaned against than a living creature. It should have been obscured considering his vibrant colors, but the shade dulled it, softened it until he just fit with his surroundings.

"It'll all turn out okay," she told him.

His eyes fluttered open and they were startlingly vivid compared to the rest of him. He started forward and just when she thought he might walk right past her, his arm brushing against hers, he stopped.

"Yes, Kagome."

She felt a touch and looked down in time to see his hand intertwine with hers. He gave a squeeze.

"That's the problem."

His hand slipped out of hers and he continued forward. She spun around to watch him go and could do nothing but follow as he joined the others.

Inuyasha had been waiting for her, she could tell by the impatient stare. "You ready?" he asked gruffly. Crouched on the wooden edge of the well, the hanyou was ready to jump at any moment.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied. It took a great deal of concentration to keep her from glancing over to Kurama. "Let's get this show on the road."

She stepped forward to join Inuyasha at his side, but Kuwabara beat her to it. Yusuke grabbed him and turned him his way.

"And where do you think you're going?"

He squared his shoulders back and jerked out of Yusuke's grip. With his chin held high, Kuwabara answered as simply as possible.

"With them."

Kagome jerked with surprise as Inuyasha let out a, "the hell you are!" Unexpectedly, Yusuke said nothing, though his gaze hardened and he folded his arms across his chest.

Kuwabara instantly grew defensive as it was obvious that no one was on his side. "Why not? She's my…." He stopped and tried again. "I can't just sit around and wait anymore, I need to _do_ something."

"Yeah, I get that, but you _can't_ go through. Maybe you've just had a few too many blows to the head," Yusuke rapped his fist against the side of Kuwabara's head, but the taller boy swatted him away, "or don't you remember _trying_ that already?" Yusuke countered.

Kuwabara's eyes flickered to Kagome when Yusuke said it, and she could only imagine that he was thinking about the night he had stolen the jewel from her. As far as the others knew, Kuwabara had tried just the few times that day. Only Kagome knew of how he had snuck out to try the portal again and again.

"I would think that you're not capable of traveling through the well for a reason," Miroku said, continuing the argument. "You still exist over on that side. In theory, assuming you were able to make it through, it would greatly unbalance nature. A time paradox. There would be two of you in existence at one time. I cannot even begin to imagine the consequences."

"I can't even deal with one of 'im, we ain't creating a second," Inuyasha mumbled.

"Technically, you wouldn't be _creating_ a second…" Kurama began to explain, but Miroku shook his head and the redhead heeded the advice. Inuyasha wouldn't understand all the technical facts of a time paradox. Kagome herself was having trouble following certain aspects of the concept.

Kuwabara's face was a mask of defiance. "I'm going."

"No. You're not," Yusuke replied just as firmly. He pushed up one of his sleeves as his hand made a fist. "I'll beat some sense into ya if I have to. Not like I haven't done it before."

"Feh, let him try. It won't work anyway," Inuyasha said.

An argument broke out between the boys, though some bickered louder than others. Speaking all at the same time, Kagome's shouts of 'hey!' had no effect on them, if they heard them at all. They were wasting precious time and she was getting frustrated.

It turned out that Kagome had no need to try and stop the arguing, for Kuwabara deafened the rest with one shout.

"I won't let her die again!" he yelled, and the voiced protests died.

For a reason Kagome didn't know, his eyes were on her when he spoke again, much quieter than before. She was sure it was meant only for her ears when he whispered it.

"I love her."

He was trying to win her over now, probably hoping that she could influence the others if he did. Which, she didn't deny it, she might be able to do. Or at least, she could convince Inuyasha, and since they were the ones doing the time traveling, they were the ones that mattered most in this affair.

But she wasn't on his side on this one.

"Kazuma," Kagome said, speaking as gently as she could. "It's just not physically possible. If it were possible… and it didn't violate the laws of science as a whole…"

"Says the time traveler," Kuwabara spoke, bitterly. He turned away, his back toward the well.

"…there's no way I'd let you _not_ go. But the well won't accept you. You've already seen that." She tentatively put a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry."

He shrugged her hand off and she let go without a fight. His face was hidden from her, but she saw his body relax as the tension ran out of him. She took it is a sign of defeat and felt a smidge of pity. Just as took a step forward to console him, however, he shocked her and the rest of them. Without warning, he spun on his heels and tackled Inuyasha—and both went plummeting downward.

"What the—!" she heard Inuyasha yell, but it was cut off and silence reigned thereafter.

Yusuke and Kurama reacted before Miroku and Kagome had the chance to. Kagome was the last to reach the well and peer down inside. What she saw was not what she expected.

Nothing.

"Holy crap, he really made it through," Yusuke said, his voice thick with disbelief.

He put a foot up on the side as though he were about to follow, but both Miroku and Kurama each caught an arm.

"Hellooo, did you not hear all the time paradox stuff? There can't be two of you over there!" Kagome said. "Besides, you can't get through. _He _shouldn't have been able to get through. How'd he get through?!" she demanded of Kurama and Miroku.

"I can only venture a guess," Kurama replied. "But since Inuyasha can access the portal that brings you to our time…."

"You're suggesting he slipped through with him?" Miroku finished.

"Precisely."

Since Yusuke didn't seem like he would make a rash decision and jump over the edge as Kuwabara had, Kurama and Miroku let go of him. He took a step back, away from the temptation of his own time.

"This is _so_ not good," Kagome muttered. "He could screw up time as we know it!"

"Come on, this is Kuwabara we're talking about," Yusuke said. "'Course he will."

"Yeah, that makes me feel much better," Kagome told him sarcastically.

He smirked. "Glad to be of service."

"Is this really a time for jokes?" Miroku asked.

Kagome planted one foot on the edge of the well and stood up on the side. "I need to go get him and force him to come back, for now. He needs to let me and Inuyasha handle this."

"He's probably set out at a full sprint by now," Yusuke said, more to himself than to them. He kicked the side of the well. "Damn it! That idiot!"

"No time to waste then," Kagome said as she turned. A hand on her wrist stopped her just before she jumped. She looked down at Kurama curiously.

"I'm coming with you." He pulled himself easily up on the side to stand beside her without so much as a wobble. "It will be risky, but it is the only way I can assure Kuwabara does not cause a catastrophe. Moreover, I can assist you in finding Yukina."

She stared at him until she came to her quick decision. A small smile found its way onto her face. "Okay, let's go. Together."

He changed his footing so that he was facing her before bringing her into his embrace. With her cheek resting against Kurama's chest, she looked at the two remaining.

"Tell the others what happened," she told Miroku. She looked to the other boy. "Bye, Yusuke."

He gave a small wave of his hand. "Give Kuwabara a solid punch for me."

She smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Will do."

With no further adieu, Kurama lifted her an inch off the ground and, with her in his arms, jumped. She closed her eyes on instinct, waiting for that crash that never came. It was a freefall for all of a few second, or maybe a few minutes. She always lost all track of time in this space in between.

As though he had vanished, the arms encircling her disappeared and the warmth his body had provided with it. And although her mind told her she _should_ feel panicked to have lost him, she never could feel anything for the short time she was neither here nor there.

Only when her feet gently hit solid ground and she knew she was alone did she panic. Where had Kurama gone and why wasn't he here?

Looking up, she only saw ceiling above her. Nobody was there peering over the edge as she hoped they might be.

"Inuyasha?" she called but received no answer.

With a sigh, she began the climb up the side on her own. It was just so much easier when Inuyasha carried her up. Getting over the side at the end was always the most annoying part, but she managed when she made her way to the top.

Just as she got both her feet on solid ground, she heard from behind her a sound, almost like faint bells chiming. She turned and glanced down into the well, hoping to see Kurama there. Her whole body jerked in surprise when she saw another familiar face there instead.

"Inuyasha!" she cried. "But you left before me! How…?"

He looked up and she could tell that he was disgruntled. "Did you see that? He freakin' tackled me! What the hell?!" With one smooth movement, he jumped out of the well and landed beside her. "I've kicked people's asses for less."

"Where is he? And why'd it take so long for you to cross?" Her brow furrowed with worry.

He shook his head. "Dunno. I just had this feeling while in there. Like something was holding me back. Then suddenly his weight's gone and I came out here."

"This isn't good." Kagome worried her bottom lip. "I need to go back. Maybe see if they popped up there."

What if they were gone forever? She would never forgive herself if that were the case. This was all her fault!

"Yeah, good idea I gue—wait a second, did you say 'they'?"

"When we saw Kuwabara go with you, Kurama decided that it would be best if he came with me, to get him to come back and whatnot. But… he disappeared too." She stomped her foot. "If I had known Kuwabara wouldn't have made it all the way through I wouldn't have brought him with me!"

Inuyasha put a hand lightly on her shoulder. "Yeah, but if he'd known the part about not getting through, he wouldn't've wanted to come either."

She stepped away from him and went to the well. "That doesn't make me feel better," she muttered, then jumped—and collided with the ground.

"Ow!"

She rubbed bottom where it had hit the ground forcefully—then fully realized what had just occurred. She jumped up and down in place a few times. Nothing happened.

"It's not working!" she called up to Inuyasha. Her tone was frantic.

"Shit," was all Inuyasha had to say. He scooped Kagome up and brought her back to the top again and tried the well himself to no better result.

"I think… it's broken," he said in a quiet tone after quite a few tries. His hands, gripping the side of the well, shook furiously with tension. The wood broke under his tremendous strength.

Kagome flinched when he chucked the piece across the room. "Fuck!"

He'd lost his way home.

Slowly she made her way forward. His back was to her, and so she laid a tentative hand on his back. He spun around furiously and it was only intense training and familiarity that didn't have her stumbling back. His face was so angry, so sorrowful, that she had a hard time looking at him. So she didn't.

He turned back around, but she didn't let him escape. She hugged him from behind and some of the tension eased out of him. His hands covered hers.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"I don't like the idea of being stuck here," he said. This wasn't his world. A place where he had to forever hide his nature… Inuyasha could never live a satisfying life in her time, just as she would never be fully content with living in the past.

"It might just be temporary," she reminded him. Something in her doubted it though. They had found what seemed like a loop hole in the rules, only to destroy everything with it.

They stayed like that for a long time. How long, Kagome could not say. She had no desire leave the embrace at that moment. That was, until she heard those faint bells in her mind again.

She nearly stumbled when she stepped away as she tried to make her way a little too quickly to the well. Relief filled her when she saw a figure down below, unconscious by the look of it.

It took her a minute to recognize him, and a slight bit of nervousness filled her when she did. It was Kurama, that much she knew, but with that silver hair…. Who would be waking up: Youko or Kurama?

Inuyasha must have had the same thought, because as he came up beside her, he swore.

Kagome glanced at him. "Inuyasha, can you get him?" she asked. It probably wasn't the best idea, but… "We'll get him to my room to rest."

She could only pray that it wasn't Youko who awoke in her bed.

* * *

"_You have people that care about your well-being if you'd just open your eyes for a second to see them! You're just like Kuwabara. You're entirely consumed by _her_."_

"_And you would know nothing about that would you? No, you don't care at all about that walking corpse of a brother. You want nothing to do with him, is that right?"_

"_Do what you please. I no longer care."_

Sango sighed heavily. That was not the way she had wanted to leave things with Hiei the last time they had met. It had not been her purpose in going to him in the first place, and since then he had not come back at all.

Nothing about the memory pleased her; not the fight she hadn't meant to start, not the yelling, not the way she sounded almost jealous when referring to Yukina. She had only gone to him because he had not been acting rationally, picking fight after fight to seemingly no purpose. It shouldn't have turned out that way, and that was the reason she searched for him now, or the reason she had herself believe. That, and the fact that she still wanted answers. Oddly enough, Hiei was her best chance to get them.

A familiar ringing of metal tore her from her thoughts. She recognized it as soon as she heard it, and instinct alone had her dodging out of the way of the weapon before her mind fully comprehended what it was. She felt the tremendous difference in weight as the blade caught on the strap of Hiraikotsu and caused it to fall to the ground. Meanwhile, the scythe's edge dug into the tree where her shoulder had been only a moment before. Too close.

Her hand went to her sword's hilt automatically, but Sango hesitated in drawing it when her eyes fell upon her attacker. When the offending weapon retracted itself, however, and began to spin above her opponent's head, ready to attack once more, she had no choice but to take out her sword to defend herself. She couldn't bring herself to attack him. She loved the memory of him too much to harm what he had become through no choice of his own.

"Kohaku," she murmured.

His hands gripped the chain firmly, though she could tell by the quick movement of his arm when he was going to send the blade her way. She dodged again easily, but a second attack in quick succession threw her off—he was never able to do it so quickly before. She used her blade to deflect the attack but the force of it surprised her and she dropped to her knees because of it.

"Kohaku," she repeated, louder than before. "Don't you know me?"

Her breath caught when he actually paused for a moment, his scythe held still in his hand. She had thought it was futile. That same lifeless look was still in his eyes, but… was it just her, or did it seem like he was slightly more focused than usual?

His hand with the weapon dropped just a little lower. "…Sango…"

She felt her heart pound harder in her chest. He was remembering. Finally, he was remembering.

A strangled cry left Kohaku, and he suddenly fell to his knees, his hands clutching the sides of his head as though he were in pain. "No, no, no," he repeated over and over as he shook his head. He struck his fist against the ground while imbedding the edge of his blade forcefully into the earth, his head dropping down so that she could no longer see his face.

She started to get up, to go to him, to comfort him, but his next statement froze her.

"I'd be better off… if I had no sister…."

His tone was so bitter, so angry. While she knew she should not have listened to anything he said in his current state, the words still stung her deeply.

"No. This can't be you," she said, more to herself than him. It couldn't be him, it had to be Naraku's doing. Naraku saying the words and not him. She had to believe that. She had to. "It can't. Kohaku!"

With a wordless cry of pure anguish, the boy sprung to his feet and chucked the blade at her. Sango threw her sword up to block, and although successive, the chain curled around her weapon and with one yank of his hands, the sword went flying out of her grasp no matter how tightly she tried to hold onto it.

When she looked up at him, she saw that his eyes were clouded once more. Once his weapon had returned to him, he began to charge forward and she could not find the will within her to stand. Her hand reached for the dagger concealed at her hip, holding it in her hand at the ready. She'd use it when he got close enough, and if she ended up killing him… She would follow soon after.

Closer and closer he sprinted and her hand tightened on the weapon as she raised it up and—

—saw only black in front of her. Perplexed, she stopped her attacked just in time, meanwhile the distinct sound of weapon meeting flesh met her ears.

_Hiei_.

He was standing right in front of her, between her and Kohaku. The fire apparition turned ever so slightly, as though he had heard her say his name and was reacting to it. That slight movement allowed her to catch a glimpse of his arm, and the blood running down it.

_Why? Why did you take that blow for me_? She meant to only ask it to herself, but she only just remembered with his ability, it was probably as though she had asked it out loud.

Regardless, he didn't answer. She thought it might have been because his attention was on Kohaku, but the boy, with his blade still dripping Hiei's blood onto the ground, was backing up slowly. He must have remembered his last meeting with the demon, for his retreat was quick. Hiei didn't even try to follow him.

Only when Kohaku was completely out of sight did Hiei turn her way and Sango got a good look at the damage to his arm. For a demon such as him, the wound was barely a scratch. It would be healed in a few hours. Had it been her, not only would she require it to be sewn up, but it would have last for months and most definitely left a scar. It would not have been the first he had given her.

She didn't realize the death grip she had on her dagger until his eyes flickered to it. She stiffly let it go and, still on her knees, tore a strip off the end of her skirt with some effort. He didn't comment, not even when she reached up tentatively and grabbed his wrist, though she did notice the tension, he did not try to take his arm back. Without a word, she used her crude bandage to start binding his wounded arm while silence stretched between them. The darkening sky around them seemed a fitting setting for their silence.

He had prevented each sibling from harming the other, stopping her attack and receiving the wound in her place. It must have been a quick decision on his part, considering someone as fast as him did not even have time to draw his sword to defend himself. It made her wonder if he had only just arrived at the opportune moment, or if he had been watching and only decided now to intervene.

It surprised her, however, that he had not retaliated. Hiei was proud, that she knew for certain, and such a slight should have angered him. Yet he had made no move to return the favor to Kohaku. He had not even tried to follow him.

And finally, Sango understood.

"Yukina was your sister, wasn't she." A quiet statement.

The arm she was holding tensed considerably, but she pretended not to notice and did not pause in bandaging it. His silence was answer enough for her. Had it been anything but the truth, he would have been sure to point out her folly in a scathing manner.

After she tied the last knot, she didn't let go of her hold on him. Her hands stayed where she had left them, one wrapped around his wrist and the other slightly farther up. She wanted these answers, and although she knew her grip would do little to hold him if he truly wished to leave, it was the only way to keep him from escaping completely as she pushed forward with her questions.

Her gaze was still on the arm she had been tending to as she spoke her next words softly. She didn't want to look up into his face, didn't want him to see the sadness in her eyes, among other things.

"How did she die?"

A sharp pain jolted through her as his other hand wound its way into her hair and pulled harshly, forcing her head back and her face to tilt upward toward his.

"Hiei," Sango began rather calmly, but she stopped when she saw his face. He wasn't look at her. His eyes wider than she had ever seen them, he was staring right _through_ her, not actually seeing anything that was in front of him. She could feel trembling in both the arm she held and the hand grasping her hair.

_He was there as well, but he could do nothing_.

Kurama's words came back to her. All this time, he had been blaming himself for the death of his sister, despite all the time that had passed. Except unlike Kuwabara who grieved openly, he had kept it inside all along, silently cursing himself.

Even knowing how much Hiei would hate it, Sango said the words nevertheless, because she understood all too well.

"I'm sorry."

It was enough to snap him right out of his dazed state. The trembling in his body disappeared as his grip became firm again. He gave her head one more painful yank back before he completely let go.

"I thought you 'no longer cared'," he sneered at her before he turned away.

She let her hands fall away from him and sat more comfortably on her knees than the agonizingly erect way she was forced kneel as he held her tightly. The movement caused Hiei to look back at her, and she stared up at him silently.

She settled for the truth.

"I lied."

* * *

Kagome didn't even realize she had fallen asleep until she abruptly woke herself up when her head jerked back and banged against the wall. Sleeping with her back against the wall never did work out to well for her. She had the tendency to accidentally knock her head into things rather unpleasantly.

Her back was merely a bit stiff and so she didn't think she had drifted off for too long. The darkness outside gave her no indication, though if it had been that long Inuyasha would have probably come back and woken her up by now. He was still waiting to see if Kuwabara would appear, just as Kurama had. The more time that passed, however, the less likely that seemed to be.

They could not wait forever. There were only two days left… one, she amended in her mind, when her gaze slid past the clock. It was quarter past midnight. As soon as Kurama woke up, whether Kuwabara showed or not, they would have to leave. And if the fox did not wake by dawn, they would have to leave him behind as well.

Kagome looked over at the occupant of her bed, which wasn't hard to do considering she was sitting Indian-style at the end of it. He looked far too big for it in his current form, like a parent in a child's bed. He was just so tall, a good foot taller than he usually was. He looked so different in every aspect that it was hard to believe that it was truly him.

Kagome inched closer to the head of the bed until she was kneeling beside his waist. He appeared to be only sleeping but Kagome had to wonder if he would ever wake up. Something truly went wrong when they had tried to bring the two over to this side of the well.

Bending forward, she touched his cheek gently, ghosting her fingertips from just under his eye, which she knew would be golden once he opened them, to the corner of his mouth. I want, he had said, but never finished the sentence. Now all she could do was ponder as to what it was he would have said. It could have been a number of things. Anything, really. He could've wanted chocolate chip pancakes for all she knew (though she thoroughly doubted it). And if he never opened his eyes, she would never know either. Hell, she might never know even then.

She moved her hand from his face to his hair and ran her finger through the silky strands. She blushed, knowing this was something she would never dare to do if he were awake. Yet just when she was about to take her hand back and tuck both of them away so that she could resist the urge to keep touching him, a hand shot out and clamped around her wrist. She jerked with surprise, and half leaning over him, she gazed up to meet golden eyes.

Before she could even blink, Kagome was flipped onto her back with the fox straddling her waist and a hand at her throat. She tried to speak his name and was almost glad when no sound escaped. Had she said the name, it would have been the wrong one.

Youko smirked down at her. "Happy to see me?"


	19. Tragedy, part one

_AN: **Quick recap**: After discovering that it was possible to save Yukina, Inuyasha with Kuwabara and Kagome with Kurama jumped through the well. At first, only Inuyasha and Kagome made it through. Kurama appeared later on, unconscious and in the form of Youko. Back in the Feudal Era, Sango found Hiei and finally discovered that Yukina was his sister. Neither have any clue that it might be possible for Yukina to be saved. Meanwhile, Youko has just awoken…_

* * *

**Redirection**

**Chapter Eighteen:**

**Tragedy (Part One)**

"_Don't you feel anything?" —Kagome Higurashi_

* * *

Kagome clawed at the hand on her throat, but it might as well have been steel wrapped around her neck. Breathing, although possible, quickly became a problem as an insufficient amount of air found its way into her lungs. It left her chest rising and falling rapidly, trying to produce enough oxygen to keep her conscious. His weight on top of her kept her from struggling, and no matter how hard she dug her nails into his arm, he did not budge.

Then, in an instant, Youko released his hold on her.

Kagome turned on her side, gasping and coughing, as he moved off the bed. She touched her hand to her throat and winced when her fingers brushed against the tender skin. It would certainly bruise. She glared across the room at the looming demon.

"What was that for?" She barely managed the words even after her coughing had ceased. She grimaced at the sound of her own voice.

"A precaution. No need for your dog to come running."

She considered pointing out that she could just yell for him now, but Kagome knew better than that. The second she sucked in a breath, he would be on her. No need to vainly provoke the (possibly) dangerous demon. Nonetheless, she did not think he would actually hurt her. He had a chance last time they met and had not acted upon it. Then again, slapping him then might not have been the _best_ idea….

The look on his face could only be described as contempt as he stared at her for but a brief moment. Then, his gaze was elsewhere as if she did not matter in the least. As much as it peeved her, the annoyance was forgotten once she noticed where his eyes had landed. When the fox took a step toward the window, Kagome scrambled off the bed and stood in his path.

She spread her arms out wide even as her heart leapt into her throat. "And where do you think you're going?" she questioned.

Not the smartest move, but it was all she had. Kagome just needed to wait him out. Kurama himself was not able explain to her or the others _how_ Youko had managed to come out last time. The silver-haired demon had only done it twice before in the past, and both times it had been with the aid of a rare item. Kurama had, however, ventured a guess. Two souls found home in one body, that of the human Shuichi and the demon Youko Kurama. While usually a combination of two was presented—the person she knew as Kurama—that time in the river Youko had for the first time suppressed Shuichi and come out on his own, for had he not woken their shared body would have been destroyed. If he had not come out to play, there had been a good chance that he, along with Kagome, would have been swept away and killed.

Perhaps now was a similar instance. Something had obviously gone wrong with the well. Maybe Kurama would not have made it through had it not been for Youko. If that were true, Kurama would appear like before. She just needed to keep Youko here and occupied until that happened.

He seemed amused by the display of courage on her part. "You are not as clever as you think."

She raised her chin stubbornly as she locked eyes with him. "Neither are you."

A stare-off ensued. Youko was displeased by her comment; she could tell by the way his eyes narrowed. Yet, that was not what worried her. He could have moved her at any moment. She had no power to make him stay. It was the fact that he had _not_ shoved her away yet that made her nervous and rather suspicious.

A tap on the glass behind her made Kagome jump. Youko smirked at this, causing Kagome to make a face at him before turning around and facing the half-demon she knew would be there. What she did not expect, however, was the body thrown over Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Kazuma," she breathed as she rushed to open the window. Anxiousness made her fingers falter as she unlocked it.

Inuyasha hopped in as soon as she pushed the pane all the way open and he placed Kuwabara on the newly vacant bed. His body fell hard onto the mattress, like dead weight would. Her pulse sped up rapidly—until she saw his face. His eyes were open. She felt the relief fill her, but it fled just as quickly as it came. Yes, his eyes were open, but they did not look responsive.

Her heartbeat was so loud that Kagome could feel it drumming in her head. She took a faltering step toward the bed. He wasn't… He couldn't be….

"He ain't dead, if that's what you think," Inuyasha told her. "I felt his heart beating. He's breathin' too."

She paused and noticed that his chest _was_ rising and falling. Was he still passed out, like Kurama had been?

Kagome shook her head. "His eyes are open, but…."

"The human is wakeful, but not conscious."

While Kagome glanced casually over to the fox, Inuyasha spun on his heels to face him. He cursed quite colorfully before he grabbed Kagome's wrist and gave a sharp tug, sending her stumbling behind him. He steadied her with his other hand as he kept himself like a wall between her and Youko.

Youko raised an eyebrow. "You seem surprised, hanyou. Was the vacant bed not clue enough?"

Inuyasha raised one clawed hand, though Youko hardly looked impressed. "Stupid girl, I thought I told you to yell if _he_ woke up," he growled at her.

Youko gave her a smug look and Kagome had a hard time not sticking her tongue out at him. So he had known Inuyasha had wanted her to call for him. She had not actually done it, had she? She had never planned on doing it in the first place.

Kagome kicked Inuyasha in the leg from behind. "Don't call me that," she snapped, then turned her attention to Youko. "And you. You're contradicting yourself. How can he be awake and not conscious? That makes that kind of sense that, you know, _doesn't_."

Inuyasha snorted. "He's kinda right. For once."

"You'll find that I am right the majority of the time," Youko sneered back.

"Enough of this macho bull. Would someone like to enlighten me and tell what the heck you're talking about?" Kagome asked impatiently, her eyes darting back to Kuwabara on the bed. He had not budged an inch. Not that she really expected him to, but _something_ would have been nice.

"I've seen that look before, loads of times. You have, too," Inuyasha informed her. "It's… a soulless look."

Soulless…? Kagome took one step away from Inuyasha and toward Kuwabara. Hesitantly, she passed one hand over his face, but there was no response from him. She placed a hand over his chest and felt his heart beat. It was slow and perfectly timed. His body might have been awake and ready to be used, but there was no one inside to control it. The lights were on but nobody was home.

Kagome paled. The well. It had done something. The well had clearly rejected him before, but he weaseled his way through this time around. Something bad had happened there, it had to have.

As her eyes slid away from Kuwabara and toward Youko, another thought struck her that caused a wave of nausea. Her eyes met his, and she knew she must have been an open book to him. He could read every thought going on in her head just by looking at her face. The longer she stared at him, the more satisfied Youko looked.

"If Kuwabara's lost his soul… that means…." She couldn't finish.

"Shuichi will not be waking up again," he concluded for her. "His soul, along with the other human's, has been lost in exchange for passage to the other side of your well."

Both their souls were stuck in the place between, neither here nor there. She could not help but feel responsible.

Kagome sunk heavily onto the bed near Kuwabara's feet. "And I suppose going back wasn't an option," she said weakly.

"No."

That look on Youko's face… the small smile playing across his lips…. That was it. He had stayed just for that moment. He wanted to see her face when she realized that her Kurama would not be coming back.

Youko gave her a mocking nod, a farewell gesture, and she knew he was about to leave. Kagome stood determinedly and marched over to him before he could, dodging Inuyasha's hand when he made a grab for her. She stopped barely two feet in front of the demon.

"You need to help us," Kagome told him. She crossed her arms stubbornly.

Youko was not impressed. "I _need_ no such thing."

"Okay, I'm asking for your help then."

"No," he responded coldly.

She took a step forward. "Think of everything Yusuke and the others have done for you. Just help us save Yukina and then you can do whatever the hell you want!"

Youko matched her step with one of his own and continued without missing a beat. "What they have done for me is aided in the complete _ruin_ of my reputation. Helping humanity has never been one of my goals."

Had it been one of her friends, Kagome would have taken that last step and been entirely in his face. In this matter, for her own personal safety, she stayed where she was.

"Fine, don't help any humans! What about Hiei? Aren't you guys like partners or something?"

"Perhaps I should rephrase. Assisting anyone is not on my agenda," Youko said.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Oh, I forgot. Kurama told me you only care about yourself. Only look out for yourself. Take what you want, whenever you want."

"If that was what _Shuichi_ told you, then he was correct," he said, the cold ice of hate in his tone.

Inuyasha tried to pull her away, but she shrugged off his hand. There was no way she was backing down.

"Forget him, Kagome. He's just goddamn selfish," Inuyasha told her sharply.

"UGH!" Kagome yelled in her frustration, one foot stomping on the floor. "Don't you _feel_ anything?" she demanded of him.

Youko's hand was gripping her elbow, claws digging lightly into her skin, before she even saw him move. Although her pulse sped up, she remained still and did not try to break the hold. Kagome did not even flinch and she continued to stare back at him.

Inuyasha voiced his protest as he started forward, but Kagome stopped him with one word before he reached them. She felt the thud shake the room as her half-demon friend became acquainted with her carpet. Silently, Kagome apologized for using his most hated word, 'sit', when he was only trying to protect her, but it was a necessary evil. She would never convince Youko if he was attacked by Inuyasha.

Youko dragged her that last step forward, closing the distance between them. "And what are _you_ willing to offer me, Kagome?" It was the first time he had used her name and she didn't trust it.

She physically jumped when she felt a brush against her upper thigh. Kagome let out a small yip and tried to move backward, but he would not let her. He forced her forward and she bumped into his chest.

Kagome swallowed hard as she gazed up at him. "Is—is that what you want?" Her voice sounded small and squeaky to her.

His face was emotionless. No lust or eagerness like there should have been if this was really what he was asking for.

"Would you be willing to give it?" he asked, voice empty.

No. She couldn't. Anything but _that_. Anything. It was too awkward, too uncomfortable, too _sensual_ for her to handle.

She turned away, but that only caused her eyes to fall on Kuwabara. Kazuma. He had given up everything, was willing to risk anything, to get Yukina, his love, back. So much trouble it caused him, and yet he still pressed on. In the end, it cost him his soul.

Kagome could not chase away the look on his face, in his eyes, when he had given up. Lost all hope. The utter desperation, the loneliness. She could fix all that so it did not have to happen.

She gave a stiff nod. "Yes." She couldn't even get her voice above a whisper when she said it. "Is it what you want?"

Abruptly, he let go and gave her a push, causing her to stumble backward and hit the wall behind her. "Not at all."

"Enough with the damn games!" Inuyasha yelled as he finally got back to his feet.

"I agree," Youko said as he turned to leave.

Kagome stood trembling against the wall, still able to feel the ghost of his fingertips where he had caressed her leg. She could feel her chest pounding excessively.

Kagome took a step toward the fox demon. "Alright, no more games." Her hands clenched into fists at her side. "Anything. Anything you want from me, I'll give it. Just as long as you help us save Yukina now."

He paused. With his back to her, Youko stayed absolutely still, as though he had turned into a statue. Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something, but Kagome sent him a sharp look that stopped him. This was the moment of decision. She could feel it. Anything that could come out of Inuyasha's mouth would probably _not_ tip the scale in their favor.

Even if he had been turned her way, Kagome knew she would not have been able to read his expression. She did, however, discover that his tail was rather vocal—at least, vocal when it came to either Kurama or Youko. The silver fur moved leisurely from left to right, though she noticed after careful scrutiny, that it twitch in either direction every now and then. She wondered if that was a good or bad thing.

And then he was turning and Kagome slowly raised her gaze to his face.

"We're in agreement."

A smile lit her face as a giddy feeling filled her, but it all quickly evaporated when Youko started forward. She had to 'sit' Inuyasha once again to keep him from interfering, though part of her wished she had not as she pressed herself against the wall behind her in a vain attempt to stay away from the fox.

With a hand to her chin, Youko tilted her face up when he reached her. His eyes were so cold as he stared down at her that she found herself shivering as a chill ran down her spine. Her eyes dropped down to his mouth, where she saw him bite his lower lip. She could barely form the question before he descended down and captured her lips.

She protested with her body, trying to move away, but one hand grabbed her upper arm tightly and the other curled itself into her hair, forcing her up to meet him. His tongue pressed against her lips and brutally forced them apart, giving him entrance.

The taste instantly hit her. Metallic. He had punctured his own lip with his teeth and was forcing the blood down her throat. She thrust herself back against the wall as far as she could, but he came right with her, his grip on her hair tightening as he pulled her into him.

Finally he drew back slightly, though his lips never left hers. She clamped her mouth shut and barely gave a response to the repulsive yet passionate kiss, though he did not seem to mind. She felt a sharp pain and then her bottom lip was throbbing, and he was suckling on it lightly, cajoling the blood out of her. This was not a kiss for pleasure.

When he seemed satisfied, Youko let her go and stepped back. He used his fingertip to wipe away the last of the blood off his lip. She could not help but wonder if it was his or hers. Probably a combination of the two.

She glared at him. "That… was disgusting."

He stared coolly right back. "It's in blood, now."

"Couldn't have picked a better way to do it?" she grumbled.

Kagome leaned heavily against the wall as she used her sleeve to wipe away the blood on her own mouth and turned away from Youko. It had been completely nauseating—she had half a mind to rid herself of what she had just digested and probably would have if she thought Youko would not make her repeat the process all over again—and she hated the fact that her lips were tingling, anyway. And throbbing.

Of course, turning away from Youko had her gaze falling on Inuyasha. Still sitting on the floor with his ears flattened against his head, he looked at her with a mixture of disgust and disappointment.

"You idiot. You have no idea what you've just done, do you?" he growled.

A sinking feeling of dread rested itself in the pit of her stomach as the severity of her actions weighed her down. She only hoped it would be worth it.

* * *

"That's the third one since last night."

While Sango did not mind the occasional demon attack here and there—she was well enough equipped for them and they certainly helped to relieve some stress—three different demons, one striking every few hours, was just too much of a coincidence for her, not to mentioned it repeatedly interrupted her sleep. She was sure she got no more than four hours last night, and it was already morning.

The fire demon a few feet away did not answer, and so Sango spoke again. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you had done something to upset them." Her tone was dry, considering she knew it was something he would, and probably did, do. In fact, she _knew_ he had been doing just that. Hiei had been on a nonstop killing spree for some time now, hardly bothering to rest between kills. It was worrying those who knew him well enough to notice.

Again, there was no response. Hiei seemed too busy inspecting the corpse of their latest demon threat to pay her any attention. Sango merely let out an exasperated breath and went back to trying to solve the problem at hand—one she would not have been in if it were not for him.

The demon had made a grab for her before Hiei delivered the killing blow, and although she managed to hack off the arm that reached for her, its nails had managed to sink right through her sleeve and into the tree behind the both of them, effectively pinning her to the trunk. She supposed she should have been glad that the demon had narrowly missed sinking those sharp claws into her skin, but her shirt above and below her arm was held fast instead. Although it was readily possible to pull her arm away, Sango could not do it without ripping half her sleeve off in the process. The strong material of her outfit was expensive and rare enough that she was attempting to avoid that risk, if at all feasible. Yet no matter how hard she pulled, the severed hand would not budge.

"A little warning might have been nice," she muttered as she gave a hard yank. She still wasn't over the fact that they had been attacked numerous times.

"Are you so feeble that you need help?"

She took her gaze off the dead limb and looked at him in slight surprise. It was the first thing he had said to her since the night before, since she had bandaged his arm. She should have known it would be an insult.

Not only had it been the first time he had spoke, but it was the first time he had made direct eye contact. The weight of his eyes was just slightly unsettling, and the demon slayer found herself looking back to her captured arm.

"I _don't_ need the help. It's just common courtesy," she replied, though her voice was soft. Why was he making her feel this way? She couldn't even summon any anger against him, not in this moment. Not after seeing him so vulnerable the day before, something she doubted she would ever see again.

"And I suppose you don't need assistance now either," he scoffed.

"Right." She gave another long tug and even used her foot to push off against the tree, trying to give herself a little more power. Regardless, nothing happened. She wilted a bit. How could this thing be so strong when its owner was dead already?

"…But it would be courteous," she finally finished, submitting herself to the fact that she just could not move it alone.

He sneered at her and although she could not see it, she knew for sure that his face must have been smug. "Hn. Admit it."

She turned the rest of the way so that her back was fully to him and facing the tree instead. "No."

Changing her grip, she was taken aback when another hand abruptly came into view, resting on the severed limb just above hers. Sango jerked around to see Hiei close at her side. Too close.

"Say it."

His crimson eyes bore into her, arrogance in his gaze, and for no reason she could understand, she felt a blush spread across her cheeks. Her chest felt tight, as though someone had a fist around her heart, squeezing it. She did not know what she was feeling but she was feeling _something_ and it frightened her.

Lowering her eyes so that he would not see the fear in them, knowing he would misconstrue it, Sango swallowed the last of her pride and gave him what he wanted. Anything to get him away.

"I need your help, Hiei," she told him, her voice light.

There was a pause and she could almost see his body still. When she chanced it and raised her gaze again, she could see the arrogance had melted away, only to be replaced with an uncertainty that she could perceive on his face from mere inches away.

She had confused him. He was probably wondering why she had conceded so quickly and why she was so demurred about it. Honestly, she wanted those answers herself. A part of her might have known them… but she was not willing to own up just yet.

With his features as uncertain as they were and him almost hesitant, his face had lost the severity it usually held, harsh lines disappearing altogether. It left him looking young, and she could not help but wondered just how old Hiei was, how much he had seen and been through to cause not only his features but his actions to be so malicious. Was this all because of his sister or something more?

He was not backing down, not even when he finally seemed to notice how inappropriately close they were, and she could not help but take in, not for the first time, just how near his face was to hers. The scowl was absent from his lips for once and they looked rather soft in its absence. If she wanted, all it would take was to lean the slightest bit forward and she could press her lips against his.

She startled physically at the thought, leaning backward. It caused her hand to slip, accidentally brushing along his. As soon as she made contact, he jumped as though she had burned him and jerked his hand away. A wave of disappointment washed over her that she hastily swallowed. She didn't know what had come over her, or what she could possibly be thinking. This was not like her. Not at all.

Feeling the blush on her cheeks at full force, she turned her back to him again. She didn't even look his way when his hand returned to the demon's limb—a little farther away from hers this time around, Sango noted. Without further delay, Hiei yanked it away from the tree with some effort.

Sango rubbed her newly freed arm which had gone a bit stiff from having been stuck in the same position for so long. She noticed with a sigh the four punctured holes in her attire, though thankfully they were small. They did not need repairing just yet.

Not able to look him in the eye just yet, Sango's eyes fell next to Hiei's arm as he tossed the severed hand aside. Although it did have bandages on it, it was not the one she tied last night. Those were just the ones he always wore. Curious, however, her gaze slid to his other arm and noticed for the first time that her crude bandage was still present. The wound must have healed hours ago.

When he saw where her gaze had fallen, he looked down at the arm as well. Within moments he was pulling at the bindings to remove them. It was as though he were purposely trying to slight her, but the fact that he had kept them on so long filled her with a pleasant warmth.

He let the blood-soaked cloth fall to the ground and the wind caught it within moments and carried away. Between its disappearance and the healed arm, not even a scratch present, it was as though the wound had never existed. She knew differently.

She nodded toward his other arm. "What's that one?"

"None of your business," he snapped back as he turned away. Nonetheless, the usual venom was not present in his voice.

Without another word, he began walking away and although she was meant to follow, she allowed herself one small smile before she fell into step behind him.

* * *

"Youko!"

He decided he hated the way she said his name. It sounded so horrendous coming from a human. Persuading the girl to call him by any other name seemed slim to none, however, and so he would just have to allow her to address him less than formally if they were ever to get anything done.

She looked ready to give a scolding when she caught up with him. He suppressed the urge to squeeze her pretty little neck before she could get the words out, though he did not see why he did not just let himself loose. He promised to help her, not to do her no harm.

"You can't just go running off ahead like that," the girl chided. "People might freak or get too curious if they see you. You don't exactly _blend_. And anyway, you can't go wandering too far. There's two of you here. We can't risk you running into the Kurama of this time."

They were still in sight of her home and already the girl was getting on his nerves. This would be a long two days—especially with her dog eyeing him so hostilely.

"You had no problem allowing Shuichi to roam as he pleased in the Feudal Era when my younger version was about."

It stopped her, but only for a moment. "Yeah, well… that was different!" she insisted.

She darted her eyes away and bit her lower lip, a nervous gesture. She didn't feel comfortable around him. Good. He was sure she did not even realize she was giving him such a telltale sign until her teeth accidentally grazed against the newly healed puncture wound in her bottom lip. It tore it right open again.

She winced and darted her tongue out to lick the blood away. Glancing his way, she seemed startled that his gaze was already on her. Her cheeks darkened a shade.

Youko hadn't been the only one watching.

"I don't see why we even need his help, anyway," the half-demon grumbled darkly.

Youko pinned the hanyou with his gaze. "I am aware of the exact location of Yukina's death and can get you there within the allotted time." He switched his gaze to the girl. "Your original plan involved asking Shuichi for help, correct?"

She nodded, though deliberately avoided eye contact. It pleased him.

"Yeah. He was the only one of your—Yusuke's group that wasn't present at the time of the fight that killed her. He was home, taking care of his mom 'cause she was sick," she said, giving him all the information he already knew. "We were going to go to him, convince him to help us without giving up too much information, and have him bring us to them."

"At that point in time, he would know where they were but not where to go exactly. If you had enlisted his help, you would arrive too late to be of any use and everything will be repeated just as it was."

She didn't react. Youko suppressed a sneer. The girl still did not fully realize what bringing the ice maiden back would entail. Instead, she asked more useless questions.

"Where did they go?" she asked, ever the curious one.

He smiled unpleasantly. "Into the Makai."

* * *

_AN: That's the first half of this chapter. Second half is not finished yet._

_And, uh, oh yeah, I'm back! ...Is anyone still out there? (crickets chirp) Yup, that's what I figured. Well, I have just started another story that'll update quite frequently (compared to my other stories at least) and so if you have time and want to check it and possibly leave a review, it would make me very happy. :-)_


	20. Tragedy, part two

**Redirection**

**Chapter Eighteen:**

**Tragedy (Part Two)**

"_Close your eyes." —Sango_

* * *

It was curious, finding Kaede's hut empty when at the very least one person was occupying it as of late, but Sango did not think much of it. After propping Hiraikotsu against one of the inner walls, she stepped back outside to find that Hiei had disappeared already. She had anticipated it, however, and was not at all worried. She did not believe he would go far. Not yet, anyway.

Once outside, she stretched her arms above her head in an attempt to relieve the tension in her body. While some of it did indeed fade, it did nothing to lessen the scowl on her face. Although she had started out in good spirit, traveling with Hiei that day had proved to be no picnic.

Deciding to seek the others out, Sango did not have to think long as to which way to search. The faint sound of an explosion was enough for her to know where to find at least one of her friends. It was not too far outside the village by the sound of it and by the time Sango heard another small blast, she was already at the source. She was not at all surprised at _whom_ she saw, but _what_ she saw was a puzzling matter in its own right.

"Yusuke, what did that poor tree ever do to you?"

The tree about a dozen yards away from him had obviously been the target of his attack, the strange burst of energy he shot out of his hand. Thick pieces of bark littered the grass around the monstrous tree where they had been blasted away. Had he wanted to, Sango knew he could have disintegrated the whole thing, but he seemed happy to knock away bits and pieces of it, making his own odd markings into the trunk and knocking away the outer layer so that the tender insides could be seen. A bored Yusuke was not well-advised, she noted.

"I have you know that tree killed my granddaddy," he told her. He was trying hard to be serious, but she heard the underlying traces of humor in his voice. "Hey tree, say hello to my little friend."

She hid her laugh with a fake cough as she stepped up beside him. He sent her a glance, but she kept a straight face until he finally turned his attention back to his butchered tree. Bracing himself with his left hand, he lifted his fisted right one as he prepared for the attack. Unlike her other companions, it was hard for her to see the blast like they so easily could, but she was always able to feel it when he was powering up. She felt it now and saw the end result; he must have fired multiple shots since pieces showered the ground for a few consecutive seconds, dropping from various points on the trunk. Kurama would not approve.

Sango folded her arms under her chest. "Impressive."

He let out a disapproving grunt. "If you think _that's_ impressive, you obviously haven't been payin' much attention."

"Restraint," she told him, "can show a great deal of strength."

Yusuke gave a careless shrug and moved on instead of replying. Gazing at the tree trunk, he tilted his head to the side just a tad, and then slightly more so that his whole upper body moved with him.

With his eyes squinted, he told her, "Ya know, when you look at it like this, it kinda looks like a sword-wielding cat trying to stab a unicorn."

Sango sighed silently and followed his gaze toward the tree he had damaged. He would do anything to avoid a serious discussion.

"Yusuke, that's absolutely ridic—" She abruptly stopped, however, when she inclined her head at the same angle he had. It actually _did_ look like what he described. "Huh. Fancy that." She motioned to the side. "What about those wavy lines over there?"

"Water. Or hot lava. Haven't decided yet," he responded immediately, as though it were something he had pondered tediously over for years and not just discovered the likeness. She would not have been surprised if he had stroked his chin pensively with a thoughtful "hmm", although he did not.

"Lava," she said with a firm nod. "Definitely lava."

He flashed her a smile that she barely had time to notice before he turned away. It hadn't been his usual cocky one, but something… softer. Appreciation. Approval. Both were present, as well as an element she could not describe. It had been too quick.

He raised the one hand near eye level yet again, cocked his index finger, and sent another small blast at the tree. After the last of the debris fell, in complete unison, they both tilted their head to the side. Another marking had appeared just above the cat's back.

"I think you just gave it wings," Sango said. She gave his arm a nudge. "That's hardly kind to the unicorn. Not only is it getting attacked by the kitten, but now it's the only one sinking into lava as well."

She could tell he was smirking by the way the corner of his lips turned upward. "Can't have that, now can we?"

"Might as well go down in flames together," Sango murmured to herself. Yet as he raised his pointed finger, she stopped him with a light touch to his wrist.

"May I?" she inquired.

The perplexity disappeared off his face when he caught on. "Tch. If you think you can."

She smiled. "It can't be too hard if you do it. Close your eyes," she said. When he looked skeptical, she added, "Trust me."

He didn't make it easy for her. Yusuke screwed his eye shut and left his arms limp at his side. She took hold of his right arm only to find it loose, dead weight in her hands. It took her a few jerks and one or two light slaps to keep him from bending his elbow. Still, her job was not over. His hand was completely limp; she was forced to manually turn it to the side and curl the bottom three fingers in, leaving his index finger pointed straight at the target. Even though she knew he couldn't see—unless he was cheating, which was highly possible—Sango scowled up at him, which caused her to spot his smirk.

She sighed, frustrated. "Must you be difficult? …Don't answer that."

"Just tell me when to fire," he told her. He wasn't even trying to stifle the laughter in his voice.

Sango wrapped both of her hands around his wrist and took aim. When she was satisfied with the angle and position, she gave him the word. The hair on her arms bristled as she felt the power build up beneath her fingertips. She knew the moment he let go if only because of the shiver it chased through her and she instantly let her hands fall away.

Nothing happened.

Yusuke, eyes open since he fired the shot, let out a bark of laughter completely at her expense.

"Your aim sucks! A blind five-year-old could have shot better!" He gestured with his hand emphatically to the right of the tree. "You were _way_ off."

Sango felt her cheeks burn. "It's not like I've ever fired a weapon like that before!" she said defensively, not just a little bit flustered.

She, as a demon slayer, had honed her skills with a great variety of weapons, but never one quite like the "spirit gun" Yusuke held. Nevertheless, growing up she had learned to master each new weapon one at a time. This would be no different. She refused to rest until she hit the target.

Insisting on trying again, she grabbed onto his arm before he could even agree—not that her request had been in the form of a question to begin with. He was slightly more cooperative this time around, already putting his hand into the right position. All Sango needed to do was take aim, which she took her time doing as Yusuke taunted her. Suddenly, Sango appreciated the fact that the rest of her weapons did not come attached to a loudmouth.

She just about settled on a position, but something about the angle bothered her. She tugged his arm closer to her, causing Yusuke to lurch to the side and toward her. Sango felt much better setting up the placement with his arm in front of her, at her center.

"Ow! In case you didn't notice, I don't exactly bend that way," he protested, although he did not try to yank his arm away. "I'm not your personal my-size G.I. Joe action figure."

"I don't know what an 'action figure' is, but if it's something like a doll, I realize. They tend to talk less," she spoke dryly.

"Tch. You should see my time."

She paused, then dropped her hands away from him. "I'm afraid that's not possible," she said as she took a step back. Avoiding eye contact, she simply told him, "Fire."

Yusuke hesitated, but a moment later the blast left his finger and struck the wood. Sango smiled. Success.

"Nice shot," he said.

She thought it best not to tell him she had been aiming for the unicorn-like marking and not the part of the tree it did hit. With some training, Sango knew she would be able to master this skill just like any other.

Yusuke continued with a smirk. "Though I don't think the cat 'preciates the bullet hole you put through its head."

Sango tilted her head to the side and saw that he was right. There was a small circular marking in the crudely made forehead of the cat. She would not have called it what he had, however. It held a closer resemblance to….

"It looks more like a third eye to me," she said.

Sango turned just in time to see Yusuke's grin melt away. He scooped up the jacket at his feet and put it back on without looking at her. The friendly, carefree mood that surrounded them vanished. Play time was over.

As he fussed roughly with his collar, Yusuke said, "You found 'im, didn't you? Judging from that dazzling smile of yours when you showed up."

The sarcasm was thick. In truth, she had forgotten about her sour mood from earlier. It had faded rather quickly after she had encountered the brown-eyed boy. Yusuke had been perceptive lately, too perceptive, at noticing her foul temperaments after her run-ins with Hiei.

Thinking about it now brought an inkling of the annoyance back. However, for once, it was not the fire demon that had been the source of her agitation, but rather the continuous barrage of demon attackers that had come since morning. It persisted consistently all throughout the day. It was too much to be coincidental. There was a reason, she just did not know it. Which meant she did not like it, either.

"Actually, it wasn't—" she began, but Yusuke was quick to interrupt.

"Save the excuses. If he pisses you off that much, you shouldn't keep doin' this to yourself."

Her fingernails bit into the soft flesh of her palm, keeping tight control over her emotions. She didn't need to have this conversation now and she certainly didn't need the criticism. Especially from him.

"And what do you know of it?" Sango asked.

"I'd know somethin' if you told me anything for once!"

She could feel herself become distant; her voice, detached. "You wouldn't understand."

"And he would." The tightness in his voice was audible.

Having no answer that would satisfy him, Sango took a step forward, planning on getting away from him and the conversation. Yusuke grabbed her by her upper arm and yanked her back.

"Stop walking away. You always walk away."

Her hair struck her face as she whipped around. With a fierce glare, she met his eyes.

"Don't."

One word. She was not even sure what she meant by it. Don't what? Don't touch her? Don't make her angry? Don't tell her the truth she was trying her best to avoid?

Her voice sounded so harsh. He dropped her arm swiftly, angrily. They locked eyes, but not for long. His eyes were hard, his gaze too forceful, and Sango found herself breaking contact first.

She turned her back to him. This was not a road she wanted to go down. Sango did not want to be angry with him. She wasn't sure she really was in the first place. A bit of displacement gone wrong seemed a better answer. Regardless, a change in subject was needed.

"Where's Kirara?" she asked without facing him.

She could feel the weight of his gaze between her shoulder blades and could have sworn it caused a physical ache, but she knew it was not true. He knew just what she was doing but considering he answered, he was willing to play along. For now.

"Last I saw her was this morning. Her and the kid went off."

She started to look back but stopped herself. "And the others?"

"About that, you missed a hell of a lot going after Hiei. They've—"

A scream interrupted them, coming from the nearby village. For the first time, Sango was glad to hear a distressed call.

Her hand started for the sword at her side. "Hold that thought."

* * *

It did not take long to reach the village, especially while in a dead sprint, but the conflict was already well on its way if the empty houses and the fleeing villagers were any indication. Sango heard some of the men muttering such things as "they came out of nowhere!" and "how can they move so fast!" as they escaped, but the slayer hardly paid them any mind. It was the same type of remarks she always heard. It was not until later that she realized she should have been paying closer attention.

She stopped her running when she had reached the center of the village, her sword at the ready and Yusuke at her back. It was broad daylight and yet their surroundings were eerily quiet. Sango gripped her weapon tighter, her eyes scanning the area cautiously. There was not another soul or demon in sight—until with incredible speed, someone or thing appeared in front of her.

Sango reacted. Her sword moved before her eyes could even see what it was she was attacking. The clang of metal rang loudly as her blade met another's. It was not until after she heard the sound that she saw it was Hiei she was locked swords with.

Relenting, she moved her weapon away. He only did the same after she made the first move. And while Sango prepared herself for his taunt, it never came. His eyes were sharp and serious as they met hers.

"Stay off the ground," he snapped, less of a warning and more of a demand.

"What—"

It was all Sango managed to get out before she was abruptly seized by the wrist. Too swiftly, she lost the feel of solid ground beneath her feet and her stomach lurched as she was carried through the air, her surroundings a blur to her eyes that could not fully comprehend the speed at which she was going. And just as suddenly, Sango was dropped onto a hard surface, and not nicely, either. Her breath escaped her in a gasp as the front of her body slammed into a sloped surface. She grasped clumsily onto something to keep herself from rolling off it—a roof, she recognized.

Once the dizziness left her, she sprang to her feet, seeking Hiei out with her eyes. He was on the roof next to her, a smug expression on his face. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You did that on purpose," she accused darkly, referring to the way in which he unceremoniously dropped her.

"He may be an annoying little ruffian, but he did have a reason," came another voice. Sango spun around to see Miroku on a neighboring rooftop, too. The monk gestured to where Sango had been standing only moments ago. "They're hiding in the ground."

She did not need to ask who "they" were. There were two well-sized holes in the ground where she and Yusuke had been standing (Yusuke must have jumped at the same time Hiei had grabbed her since he was safely resting on another of the villagers' homes a decent distance away), likely one exit and the other an entrance back into the dirt. So it had attacked her, but Hiei spirited her away just in time to avoid it. Although the thing was nowhere in sight now, she held no delusions that it had departed.

"How many?" she asked, scanning the surroundings with caution.

It was Hiei that answered. "Enough."

Which meant they did not know the exact count, but there were enough of them to be a nuisance. Sango held her sword at the ready once more. Luckily, she had kept a firm hold on it even when Hiei had seized her.

She did it not a moment too soon. Within an instant, the demons had started their assault, multiple going after all four of them. Sango sliced through the first one as it sailed overhead—body parts that resembled wings more than arms aiding the creature in its flight—but she had to roll to dodge the next two, nearly falling off the roof in the process. They just skimmed over her side before falling right over the other side of the roof, burrowing into the ground once more. Sango had no moment of relief, however, for two others came at her from different sides. One she managed to knock away with her arm and it collapsed onto the home beside her, while her blade skimmed through the other's right wing. It shrieked and dove for the ground.

The one she had knocked down got up with a shudder of its wings that looked more scale-like than feathery. It stood on its furry hind legs and drew slowly closer, hissing at her and revealing a forked tongue and quite a formidable number of fangs in the process. She lunged at it and quickly swiped the odd looking creature in half, but failed to notice one of its companions too late. Sango managed to whack it away, but not before the edge of one of its wings brushed against her upper arm. Her skin tore like paper and blood gushed down her sword arm profusely, causing the hilt of her sword to become slick. She cursed her luck and chided herself for not being careful, but it was the least of her problems.

The roof suddenly shook violently beneath her feet.

"Sango!" she heard the yell. Yusuke's yell.

She did not waste time trying to figure out what happened; she merely ran to the edge and hurled herself onto the next house as she heard the explosion behind her. No use; this one was shaking, too. Barely having time to find her balance, Sango ran across the second rooftop and propelled herself into the air, but the next one was just a bit too far. Only the top half of her made it, her waist and feet dangling off the side.

As she attempted to crawl up the side, a hand gently encircled her wrist, the one that was not covered in blood. She glanced up to see Miroku smiling down at her. He gave a tug that helped her to her feet.

She murmured her thanks as she glanced back to see the damage Yusuke had done with a misguided blast of his spirit gun. Three of the villagers' houses had been decimated. Yusuke himself appeared drained—they might have just been small blasts, just little burst of energy while he was goofing around before, but they had taken their toll—though even with the distance she noticed the stricken look on his face. He had nearly destroyed her accidentally.

No time to worry about that now; it could be dealt with later. Sango switched her sword to her uninjured side, her right hand too slippery to hold it any longer. But in that second it took her to change hands, she failed to notice the danger behind her. Miroku did not.

"Sango!"

The monk had pulled her into his body and spun around before Sango could even perceive the threat. She felt his heart beat wildly against her cheek as well as the way he tensed when the attack met its mark. She stiffened along with him.

Although his hold was strong, she was stronger as she put her hands against his chest and pushed herself away from him, but he kept his arms wrapped around her. When she tentatively put a hand around him and touched his back, she felt the liquid that immediately covered her hand. Her eyes widened. Blood.

Her hands were firm but gentle as she pushed against his chest, getting him to release her from his hold. Sango got to her feet, plunging her sword into the heart of a creature attacking her from behind without even batting an eye, before turning back to Miroku and hastily helping him up.

"Why did you do that?" she asked, her voice trembling from anger and other emotions.

He gave her a warm smile that just as soon as it appeared turned into a grimace.

"Why do you still need to ask?"

One of the creatures landing right between them interrupted any reply Sango might have given. Miroku banged the creature on the head with his staff, disorienting it as Sango hacked its wing and part of one leg clean off. More still came, but together as a team Sango and Miroku did well to keep the demons at bay. They stood back to back for the majority of the time, protecting the other from the creatures that came from behind.

Sango fell down to one knee and ducked under as a creature came sailing toward her, spinning around on her knees and slashing at it before it could get away. Her sword met Miroku's staff after completely its arc, the monk having gone after the same demon. Sparks flew as the two weapons met and he stumbled back a few steps to the very edge of the roof before he found his balance.

"You don't know your own strength," he told her teasingly as he flashed a quick grin.

It didn't last.

A demon sprang from behind the monk and buried its fangs into Miroku's ankle. It jerked his leg back and his foot slipped off the side, meeting nothing but air. His eyes were wide as he tottered on the edge, the demon weighing his one leg down.

"Miroku!" she cried as she started to her feet, but one of the demons pounced upon her, biting deep into her shoulder. She fell to the rooftop once more and could only watch as Miroku stumbled back and dropped from her sight. She heard the thud as he hit the ground.

Violently beating away the one on her back, she started for the edge at a run, fully intending to jump off and to the ground below to aid Miroku, but the demon behind her knocked her down. Her body slammed ungracefully onto the house much harder than when Hiei had let her go, her chin hitting the top hard enough that it stung.

Sango killed the thing within minutes, but demon after demon came. She dodged onto a different housetop to keep one from harming her further, and then onto another. She fought back against them harshly, viciously. There seemed to be no end to their onslaught.

When she killed her last one, she remained poised on top of the home for a whole minute, waiting cautiously to see if any of the demons decided to show themselves. Her breathing was labored and she felt woozy from all the blood she had lost. There were multiple wounds all over her body ranging from scraps to a few that might need a few stitches. Nothing life threatening.

When none more appeared, she sheathed her sword and dropped down from the house instantly. She staggered as her feet found the ground once more, dropping to one knee against her will. With gritted teeth, she forced herself to stand.

Yusuke and Hiei were fine, she had just seen them. What she was worried about was Miroku. She had not seen him since he had taken the fall off the roof.

She rushed forward as fast as she could manage, which happened to be a brisk walk. Two houses down, one over. That had been where he fell, where she had last seen him.

When Sango was about to make the last turn, however, she found Yusuke blocking her path. She tried to move past him, but he stopped her too quickly with a hand to her arm. His grip was tight. Too tight. It hurt her, but she hardly noticed. All her attention was for the grave look on his face.

Sango felt all the blood drain from her face. Her throat felt dry.

"Let me through."

Again, he stopped her. "I don't think you want to—"

She jerked her arm away from him and took a step forward, trying to get him to back down. He did not.

"Let me _through_!" she demanded.

Her sword was back in her hand in an instance. With no thought to the consequences, she pointed it right at Yusuke, the tip of the blade at his throat. He still did not budge. There was such rage in her, such fire, that it felt wrong to stare into his eyes and see such compassion there. Such a dismal look.

She wanted that look gone. Wanted to slap it right off his face. She wanted no pity. What sadness could he possible have even if… even if Miroku was…. What did he care? He knew nothing of the monk. Nothing.

"Yusuke."

The voice did not come from either of the two. It came from behind Sango but she did not turn to see the fire demon there. For the first time, she did not even care.

"Let her go," the fire apparition ordered.

Yusuke's gaze slid past her, his eyes hardened as they locked with Hiei, the softness he had shown her gone. Sango lowered the blade away from Yusuke's neck despite the way his hands clenched into fists at his side.

"Fine," Yusuke spat, his voice terse.

He stiffly moved aside. Sango rushed past him, her breath caught in her throat.

The sword slid from her hands and onto the ground below with a barely audible thud. Tremors ran through Sango, shaking her noticeably. She turned away from the sight that lay before her.

She couldn't stand to look at the monk.

Or, at least, what was left of him.

She took two gradual steps backward. Was she moving? She could barely feel it, could barely feel anything. Everything felt numb. She turned her back on the gruesome scene that bore no resemblance to a person she once knew. A friend. But no longer.

A hand lightly fell on her shoulder, but it felt heavy all the same.

"Sango…"

It was Yusuke that spoke. She shook off the friendly grip. Her face was empty; her mind, blank. She could not bring herself to look at either of the others.

She held up a hand to him. Every move felt stiff and unnatural. Her fingers slowly curled inward toward her palm until it was almost a fist. She said only one word.

"Don't."

And then she was walking away. But the slow steps quickly turned into a fast pace, and the fast pace turned into a jog. Within moments she was in a full-out sprint toward the surrounding forest, no regard for the weapons or people she left behind.

* * *

_AN: Miroku's dead, Kurama and Kuwabara's souls are lost, Inuyasha and Kagome are stuck with Youko (and who knows what that fox is up to) while Kagome has made some sort of pact with the fox… I think things are going well so far, don't you? :-D_

_I'm not really satisfied with how the second scene here turned out, but I've put off this chapter for months because I just couldn't write it the way I wanted, so I guess I just need to post it as is, or I'll probably never post it at all. __Much love to all those who reviewed last chapter! _

_**Edit**: Oh! Also! I'm thinking of putting a teaser up of the next chapter in my forum before it's posted, so that way even when you're waiting for me to finish the chapter completely, I'll put the first scene up or a piece of a scene up or whatnot. I'm trying to decide if it's a good idea or not. If I do, I'll put a note in my profile page._


End file.
